Promoting Iranian EFL Teachers＇ Attitudes Toward Self-Assessment Through Using Computer Technology

The application of technology in language classrooms has recently become commonplace. However, a very important set of variables, such as the teacher＇s attitudes toward the effective uses of computers in the classroom and SA （self-assessment）--on the part of the students--have been overlooked in EFL （English as a foreign language） classrooms. The goals of this study are defining teacher beliefs, discussing the relationship between teachers＇ beliefs about the application of SA and integration of computer technology, reviewing teachers＇ beliefs and computer knowledge, elaborating teachers＇ beliefs and computer technology training. To this end, a total number of 68 EFL teachers participated in this study. Participants of the experimental group included the teachers who had already been trained how to use and apply computer in their teaching, and the participants of the experimental group included the teachers who were teaching in traditional learning and teaching environments with the least access to and employ of computer. Comparing the participants in the experimental and control groups＇ attitude questionnaire showed that Iranian EFL teachers＇ positive attitudes toward SA will improve if they are engaged in computer supported learning and teaching environments

How Teachers' Attitudes During Error Treatment May Influence Students' Oral English Competence

Usually, Chinese EFL students make satisfactory progress in reading, grammar and writing. However, it is very difficult for them to transmit messages, exchange thoughts in English. I conducted a questionnaire in Inner Mongolia Teachers’ University and found out that when the students come to speak English, they tend to appear frustrated, lack confidence on the grounds of fear of making errors, which may be closely related to the teachers’ attitudes towards students’ errors. Therefore, it is essential for English teachers to have proper attitudes to errors in English teaching. The paper discusses some important strategies on whether, when and how speaking errors should be corrected based on some researchers’ views and on a small scale of experiment for the purpose of helping teachers deal with students’ errors effectively in communication.

Chinese EFL Teachers' Attitudes toward Corpus Use in Collocation Instruction

The purpose of the present study was to investigate Chinese EFL(English as a Foreign Language)teachers’attitudes toward corpus use in collocation instruction.Fourteen Chinese EFL teachers from seven different colleges or universities answered a questionnaire asking their perceptions about corpus use in collocation instruction.The statistical analysis revealed that significant difference(t=2.449,df.=9,p=.037<0.1)was found between males and females in their perception of the learnability of the searching technique in collocation corpus.Besides,the result also revealed that significant differences were found between novice and experienced teachers’perception of helpfulness of corpus in writing native-like sentences(t=5.75,df=11,p<0.1),identifying collocation errors in English(t=5.75,df=11,p<0.1),usefulness of corpus in searching for English collocations(t=2.93,df=12,p<0.1),and advocacy of corpus to colleagues(t=5.75,df=11,p<0.1).Finally,some pedagogical implications were put forward.

Evaluation of Nutrition and Physical Activity Knowledge, Attitudes, Self Efficacy and Behaviors in Teachers and Children after Implementation of the “Healthy Active Kids” Online Program in Australian Elementary Schools

The aims were to examine change in nutrition and physical activity knowledge, self efficacy and attitudes in a cohort of 23 teachers and 304 year 5 and 6 children after the “Healthy Active Kids” online program and to assess any behavioral change in children’s self reported nutrition and physical activity behaviors and investigate the predictors of nutrition knowledge gain in teachers and children. Results found significant (p < 0.0001) increases in teacher and student knowledge of the five food groups;key nutrients provided by each food group, The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating;food labelling laws, identification of common names for fats, sugars and salts on food labels, food proportions on the Healthy Food Plate and the level and percentage of water in the human body and human brain. Teacher attitudes towards the importance of nutrition and diet and self efficacy related to teaching nutrition in class improved (p < 0.01). The final regression model for predictors of the dependent variable, knowledge gain in students was R = 0.53, Adjusted R square = 0.28 (F = 4.76, p < 0.01) indicating that 28% of the variation in knowledge gain was predicted by the negative (low) Time 1 knowledge. Changes to eating habits reported by children were “drinking more water each day” (89.1%) and “eating foods from the five food groups each day” (76.2%);“sharing information about food labels with your family” (52.4%);“reading food labels when you go shopping” (50.0%);“changing what is on your dinner plate each night” (44.2%);“vegetables that you eat now that you didn’t eat before” (42.1%) and “fruits that you eat now” (39%). Results suggest that the development of basic nutrition knowledge is still very important for both teachers and students, but that other factors such as self efficacy, empowerment and skill development also contribute to nutrition behavior change in children.

Native-speakerism in ELT:A Survey of the Attitudes of Students and Teachers in China

This article reports part of the findings of an investigation into the attitudes of Chinese English as a foreign language(EFL)education students and teachers toward Native-speakerism.Data were collected through two sets of questionnaires from 976 students and 146 teachers engaged in College English(CE)programs at six Chinese universities.The analysis of data reveals that the participants as an entirety:(a)endorse native speaker(NS)teachers,NS English and pronunciation;(b)anticipate the localization of teaching approaches emanating from the English speaking West;and(c)expect English textbooks multicultural in content.It was also found that teachers are more supportive of NS teachers and NS English while Inner Circle(Kachru,1985)teaching approaches and multicultural textbooks are more popular with students.All these findings indicate the persistence of Native-speakerism in China’s EFL education as well as the ideological resistance from Chinese EFL education stakeholders.

Pre-service Early Childhood Teachers’ Attitude Towards Mathematics: A Jamaican Inquiry

The purpose of the study was to evaluate Jamaican early childhood pre-service teachers’attitudes towards mathematics.The study is designed according to the quantitative survey model in the descriptive type.In this study,a modified version of the Fennema-Sherman mathematics attitude scale was used to measure the mathematics attitude of 144 early childhood pre-service teachers in four different categories of the attitude scale(mathematics usefulness,confidence in learning mathematics,mathematics anxiety,and mathematics motivation).The data were collected from participants in the five teachers’colleges that offer the early childhood education program in Jamaica.The findings revealed that Jamaican early childhood pre-service teachers generally have a more positive attitude towards mathematics.A comparison among the different year groups revealed that a significantly greater percentage of the Year two group of participants possessed a more positive mathematics attitude than the other year groups.A significantly higher percentage of the Year three group indicated that they do not want to teach the subject in the future.The findings have implications for the teaching and learning of mathematics in the early childhood education program in Jamaica and,by extension,the teaching and learning of mathematics at the early childhood level of the education system.

Pre-service Early Childhood Teachers’Attitude Towards Mathematics:A Jamaican Inquiry

The purpose of the study was to evaluate Jamaican early childhood pre-service teachers’attitudes towards mathematics.The study is designed according to the quantitative survey model in the descriptive type.In this study,a modified version of the Fennema-Sherman mathematics attitude scale was used to measure the mathematics attitude of 144 early childhood pre-service teachers in four different categories of the attitude scale(mathematics usefulness,confidence in learning mathematics,mathematics anxiety,and mathematics motivation).The data were collected from participants in the five teachers’colleges that offer the early childhood education program in Jamaica.The findings revealed that Jamaican early childhood pre-service teachers generally have a more positive attitude towards mathematics.A comparison among the different year groups revealed that a significantly greater percentage of the Year two group of participants possessed a more positive mathematics attitude than the other year groups.A significantly higher percentage of the Year three group indicated that they do not want to teach the subject in the future.The findings have implications for the teaching and learning of mathematics in the early childhood education program in Jamaica and,by extension,the teaching and learning of mathematics at the early childhood level of the education system.

Assessing Comprehensive Sexuality Education Programs in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: Adolescents’ and Teachers’ Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices towards Contraception

Introduction: Improving teenagers’ knowledge on sexual and reproductive health (SRH) is important to prevent unintended pregnancies. We aimed to assess comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) programs and knowledge, attitudes and practices of adolescents and teachers towards contraception. Methods: Based on the reasoned action theory and CSE guidelines, a qualitative study was conducted with seven teachers and 62 adolescents aged 15 - 19. The data were collected through six focus groups (FG) of adolescents and seven semi-structured interviews of teachers. The program of the family life education course (FLEC) was assessed. The Atlas Ti software helped to analyze the data, using a deductive approach. Results: The periodic abstinence, male condoms and pills were the most known contraceptive methods. Adolescents and teachers were reluctant to use artificial contraceptive methods, apart from the male condom which they used irregularly. Girls especially preferred natural contraceptive methods, fearing side effects, such as the risk of infertility. Almost all adolescents wanted to be informed on SRH and family planning in school. However, they estimated that the content of the FLEC was insufficient and criticized the teachers’ lack of openness. Their main sources of information were peers, siblings and the internet. Mothers were an important source of information for girls, unlike fathers considered to be indifferent or even frightening. Conclusion: Adolescents’ and teachers’ knowledge are weak;and their attitudes unfavorable towards contraception. Misconceptions about contraception lead to the use of ineffective practices to prevent unwanted pregnancies. To improve knowledge, a teacher training program should be developed and the content of the FLEC improved, formalized and regulated.

Pre-Service Teachers Attitude towards Teaching Environmental Education (EE) during Practicum in Malaysian Primary Schools

Environmental Education (EE) has been introduced into the Malaysian Curriculum since 1992. Related to that, EE was found to be an important subject that must be known by the teachers, prior to teach EE indirectly in the classroom. Problems occurred while implementing EE in schools such as;less knowledge about EE an extra burden among teachers to teach. At Teachers Training Institute (TTI), EE is a compulsory subject due to complete their training and this study carried out to identify the attitude of teaching EE among pre-service teachers’. The reliability of the items showed 0.830 cronbach’s alpha. One hundred and twenty five respondents among pre-service teachers’ were analyzed and the result shows pre-service teachers’ have positive attitude towards teaching EE in classroom. Analysis of data shown that there are significant differences between male and female pre-service teachers’ in attitude of teaching, with t = 0.036 (p 0.05).

Knowledge and Attitude of School Teachers towards Promoting Healthy Lifestyle to Students

Teachers play an important role in delivering health education to empower students with skills for healthy living to prevent non-communicable diseases. One of the common non-communicable diseases is hypertension that its development is highly associated with unhealthy lifestyle. A survey was administered to assess 130 pre-service teachers and 54 in-service teachers who were taking the health education course to prepare them for teaching the content of healthy living in Hong Kong. The assessment included their knowledge level of hypertension, attitudes towards lifestyle modification education to students, perception of knowledgeable to give health education. It was found that the knowledge level related to hypertension was generally below average among the teachers. Although they considered that lifestyle modification was an effective way to enhance students’ well-being, both pre-service and in-service teachers were reluctant to take responsibility for lifestyle modification education to their students. Lack of skill training was perceived as a problem. Teachers’ perception on health education should not be limited to the provision of simple information and advice. There is a need to improve teachers’ health literacy on some common non-communicable diseases.

Approaching Differentiated Instruction via the Attitudes and the Opinions of Greek Primary School Teachers： An Empirical Investigation

In the modern educational reality, as it is influenced by the social developments, the diversity of school potential is intensely highlighted. At the same time, the standardization of the teaching process appears to be insufficient to meet the modern instructive requirements, while it is vastly supported that differentiated teaching can sufficiently respond to the modern instructive needs. Moreover, it is pointed out that differentiated teaching is another way of thinking on the instructive work. On that basis and with a view to investigating the functionalist dimensions of differentiated teaching, a research of empiric character was attempted geared toward at the investigation of attitudes and opinions of Greek primary school teachers with regard to the differentiated teaching. The structured questionnaire was used as a research tool and the main conclusions showed not only the limited briefing of the sample teachers, with regard to the theoretical and applicable functionalism of differentiated teaching, but also the conviction that the differentiated teaching has the potential to treat students equally while functioning as a driving force for the dynamic forming of knowledge by the students themselves.

An Assessment of the Diabetic Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of School Teachers in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Background: Teachers are the cornerstone of the next generation and they are considered an important source of health information for students about diabetes. The objective of this study is to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of teachers about diabetes mellitus (DM) and to identify the associated factors. Methods: Cross-sectional study design included a stratified random sample of male and female teachers from public and private schools in Riyadh city. A self-administered online questionnaire was developed. The data collection was from October to November 2019. Results: The study included 633 teachers. Overall, 57.2% of the surveyed teachers were knowledgeable about DM. Teachers aged between 51 and 60 years (p = 0.005), males (p = 0.018), PhD holders (p = 0.011), teaching science (p = 0.021), having more than 20 years of teaching experience (p = 0.001), diabetics (p < 0.001), and having family history of diabetes (p = 0.007) had the highest level of knowledge. Overall, positive attitude towards DM was reported among 53.1% of the teachers. Those with teaching experience between 11 and 15 years (p = 0.024), diabetics (p = 0.029), and having a diabetic student (p = 0.012) had more positive attitude towards diabetes. Good diabetes-related practice was observed among 54.3% of the teachers. Older (p < 0.001), having more than 20 years of teaching experience (p < 0.001), non-Saudi (p = 0.011), diabetic teachers with longer duration of the disease (p < 0.001), having family history of DM (p = 0.028), and principals (p = 0.002) had the highest level of good diabetes-related practice. Conclusion: The KAP of teachers in public and private schools in Riyadh about DM was sufficient in many aspects. However, targeting new young teachers should be a priority to raise awareness.

Overview of Students' Attitudes towards Non-native English Speaking-Teachers

It is reported that non-native English Speaking Teachers’knowledge and performance are subordinate to Native English Speaking Teachers’and students hold a negative attitude towards non-native English Speaking Teachers.The paper explores students’attitudes towards both groups of teachers from previous studies,suggests school administrators not rush to employ Native English Speaking Teachers before considering students’attitudes and recommends non-native English Speaking Teachers to enhance English proficiency,capitalize on pedagogical skill,interpersonal skill and personal qualities for effective teaching.

A Qualitative Study Examining Macao’s Parents’Attitude towards Native and Non-native English-speaking Teachers for Private Online Synchronous One-on-one English Lessons

In terms of English learning,whether native English-speaking teachers(NESTs)surpass non-native English-speaking teachers(NNESTs)or vice versa has been a heated topic.These two types of teachers have their own respective benefits and drawbacks with respect to English teaching.Most of the current related studies are on the traditional educational classroom setting in both secondary school and higher education.However,the study of the virtual learning platform as a method of teaching English is rare.This research displays valuable significance in identifying whether parents in Macao have a preference towards NESTs and NNESTs before they purchase the online synchronous one-on-one English lessons for their children.This qualitative study,after two participants were interviewed,concludes that they both prefer NESTs due to their authentic accent and pronunciation and believe it is more suitable in such a speaking-andlistening oriented online lesson.Price is not the prioritized factor to consider.They are generally satisfied with the teaching style of the online NESTs but it is also important to take note of the teaching approach conducted in the online lessons towards children,to ensure that it holds their interest appropriately.

Students’Attitudes and Reactions to Teachers’Error Corrections in the EFL Composition Class

In this dissertation,the author attempted to explore EFL students’attitudes toward teachers’error corrections on their written products.This was accomplished by researching related studies and conducting two surveys among 31 EFL students who were currently studying in an Intensive English Language Program(IELP),as well as two of their composition teachers.Also 20 stu⁃dents’writing samples were analyzed to investigate the main types of errors that were made by those students.A related analysis looked at the main approaches that teachers applied in correcting student writings.The research studies revealed that teachers’er⁃ror corrections were highly desired by the EFL students,and students valued any error feedback that teachers provided for their writing assignments,regardless of what types of corrections were made.

Dysfunctional attitudes,social support,negative life events,and depressive symptoms in Chinese adolescents:A moderated mediation model

BACKGROUND Depression is a prevalent psychological issue in adolescents that is significantly related to negative life events(NLEs)and dysfunctional attitudes.High levels of social support can significantly buffer NLEs’effect on depression.Currently,there is limited research on how social support moderates the relationship between NLEs,dysfunctional attitudes,and depression in adolescents in China.It is imperative to investigate this moderating effect to mitigate dysfunctional attitudes in adolescent undergoing depressive mood,ultimately enhancing their overall mental health.AIM To investigate the relationship and underlying mechanisms between specific dysfunctional attitudes,social support,and depression among Chinese adolescents.METHODS This is a cross-sectional study which selected five middle schools in Shandong Province for investigation in March 2022.Participants included 795 adolescents(49.87%male,mage=15.15,SD=1.84,age range=11-18 years old).All participants completed the Dysfunctional Attitude Scale,Adolescent Life Event Scale,Beck Depression Inventory,and Social Support Rating Scale.A moderated mediation model was conducted to examine the relationship between specific dysfunctional attitudes,social support,and depression.RESULTS Results indicated that NLEs affected depression through the mediating role of specific dysfunctional attitudes(autonomy attitudesβ=0.21;perfectionismβ=0.25).Moreover,social support was found to moderate the mediating effect between NLEs,specific dysfunctional attitudes,and depressive symptoms(autonomy attitudes b2=-0.08;perfectionism b2=-0.09).CONCLUSION Dysfunctional attitudes mediated and social support moderated the relationship between NLEs and depression.Social support can buffer depression symptoms among adolescents with autonomy attitudes and perfectionism.

Observer-based robust high-order fully actuated attitude autopilot design for spinning glide-guided projectiles

This paper investigates the design of an attitude autopilot for a dual-channel controlled spinning glideguided projectile(SGGP),addressing model uncertainties and external disturbances.Based on fixed-time stable theory,a disturbance observer with integral sliding mode and adaptive techniques is proposed to mitigate total disturbance effects,irrespective of initial conditions.By introducing an error integral signal,the dynamics of the SGGP are transformed into two separate second-order fully actuated systems.Subsequently,employing the high-order fully actuated approach and a parametric approach,the nonlinear dynamics of the SGGP are recast into a constant linear closed-loop system,ensuring that the projectile's attitude asymptotically tracks the given goal with the desired eigenstructure.Under the proposed composite control framework,the ultimately uniformly bounded stability of the closed-loop system is rigorously demonstrated via the Lyapunov method.Validation of the effectiveness of the proposed attitude autopilot design is provided through extensive numerical simulations.

Knowledge, Attitudes and Perceptions of Colorectal Cancer Screening in Brazzaville

Objective: assess the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of Brazzaville residents on colorectal cancer and its screening. Population and Methods: a CAP-type cross-sectional study was conducted from June 1 to October 31, 2022, with 803 workers approached at their place of service. Information was collected using a questionnaire administered to participants. The variables studied concerned knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions about colorectal cancer. SPSS software, along with Chi-square and Fisher tests, was used for data entry and analysis. Odds ratios were calculated to determine the strength of the association between variables. Results: The average age of the participants was 33.5 ± 10 years, with a sex ratio of 0.9. There were 231 health workers. The main sources of information were health personnel (78.2%) and the internet (52.6%). The site of the pathology was known to 87% of participants. About 40% identified age, genetic predispositions, and a diet rich in animal fats as risk factors. No signs of the disease were known by 50% of the participants. Colonoscopy was known as a screening method by 40% of participants. Seventy-five percent were willing to participate in a CRC awareness campaign, but only 5% agreed to a screening colonoscopy, although 96% recognized its usefulness. Overall, the level of knowledge was insufficient in 70.4% of cases;attitudes were adapted in 55.7% of cases, and perceptions were adapted in 97.3% of cases. Factors influencing knowledge included young age (p = 0.006), a good level of education, being a healthcare worker, and high socio-economic level. Conclusion: colorectal cancer and its screening are poorly understood by the population. Awareness activities must be organized to improve knowledge and promote screening and early diagnosis of CRC.

Assessment of Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Regarding Hepatitis B among Students at Gaston Berger University of Saint-Louis in 2024

Introduction: Hepatitis B is a public health problem. This study aimed to investigate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of students at Gaston Berger University of Saint-Louis regarding hepatitis B. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in March 2024 within the university’s social campus among a sample of 800 students. Results: The sex ratio favored men at 1.5, and the average age was 23.3 years with a standard deviation of 2.7 years. Among students, 26.6% had never heard of the term “hepatitis B”, and 60% knew it was a liver disease. Young people and adolescents were identified as the most exposed population group by 52.3% of respondents. According to 53.7% of the sample, hepatitis B would be a curable disease. Furthermore, 95.0% of the surveyed individuals were not vaccinated against hepatitis B, and 36.3% were afraid of living with an infected person. While 63.0% had poor knowledge, 78.8% had negative attitudes, and poor practices were observed in 6.9% of participants. Conclusion: This study highlighted a lack of knowledge and concerning attitudes among students regarding hepatitis B. The results underscore the need to intensify information and awareness campaigns about this disease, as well as the importance of promoting vaccination and encouraging appropriate preventive practices among the student population.

Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude and Practices among Healthcare Workers in a Tertiary Care Hospital on Needle Stick Injury

Purpose: Needle-stick injury (NSI) is one of the most potential occupational hazards for healthcare workers because of the transmission of blood-borne pathogens. As per recent data, around 30 lakh healthcare workers sustain Needle stick injuries each year. This study was conducted to assess healthcare workers’ knowledge, attitude and practices regarding needle stick injury. Materials & Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in a Tertiary Care Hospital over the period of 3 months. The study population consisted of Intern Doctors, Post Graduate resident Doctors, Staff Nurses, laboratory technicians of Government Medical College and New Civil Hospital, Surat (n = 300). The data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire via the means of Google Forms. Questionnaire was made with prior review literature. The data obtained were entered and analysed in Microsoft Excel. Results: The prevalence of NSI in our study was 46%, with a higher prevalence among the PG residents (72%). Overall scores regarding knowledge and attitude were better in PG residents (knowledge score > 7 in 71% and Attitude Score > 7 in 68% of PG Residents). Even though the PG residents scored highest in the knowledge category, the majority of them suffered needle stick injuries as a result of poor practice scores. Among those who had NSI (n = 139/300), 70% of study participants had superficial injuries, only 9% reported the incident, 18% got medical attention within 2 hours of the incident, and 7% followed up to recheck their viral markers status. Most incidents of NSI were due to hypodermic needles while recapping needles. Conclusion: Exposure to needle stick injuries and their underreporting remains a common problem. It is imperative that healthcare workers receive regular training on the proper handling of sharp objects. We can also draw the conclusion that preventing NSIs requires putting knowledge into practice.