Studies in Humanities and Education

Online Assessment in the Subject of Applied Mathematics as one of the Instruments during the Formative Assessment

2022-12-31T17:40:55+00:00

Taking assessments these days doesn't have to be stressful as technology has revolutionized the entire education system. Assessments are the most important part of the applied mathematics course, as they give students an accurate background of where they stand. It acts as a catalyst and positive reinforcer for students encouraging them to perform better. Most importantly, teaching and assessing students are two actions that should not be confined within the walls of a classroom but can be done anytime, anywhere with the help of technology. Therefore, in this study we have tried to analyze an assessment process developed through online tests in the subject of applied mathematics, as one of the instruments of formative assessment. To formalize this study, it was decided to use quantitative research methodology as a research strategy. The sample number was 110 students and it was a purposive sample. The empirical data collected during this research study involved a variety of data collection techniques. The methods used consist of questionnaires. The results from this research are important because online assessment is one of the formative assessment tools needed for students. The conclusion from this study is that students enjoyed taking online tests in the subject of applied mathematics. Therefore, the online assessment had a great positive impact on the formative assessment process in this subject. This paper has shown that online assessment as one of the instruments used in the formative assessment process affects the appearance of special assessment strategies in the subject of applied mathematics.

Self-esteem and its Relationship to English Oral Performance among Yemeni EFL Undergraduate Learners

2022-11-28T13:44:24+00:00

The present study aims to explore the level of self-esteem among the Yemeni EFL university students and find out whether female and male significantly vary in their self-esteem. It also examines the level of the Yemeni Arabic speaking EFL university students in English oral performance and its relationship with their self-esteem. For the data collection, three instruments have been used. First, 50 Yemeni EFL undergraduate students (female=38; male=12) completed the self-esteem scale (SES) developed by the researcher along with the standardized Self-esteem Scale by Rosenberg(1965). Then, an oral test was set to test students' performance in English speaking skill. The third tool is a spoken test checklist prepared to score the students’ oral performance. The data collected were statistically processed by using SPSS. The results obtained show that: (a) Yemeni EFL undergraduate learners show high self-esteem degree (M=2.90 (out of 5), percentage73%) in both dimensions (c) No significant differences have been found between females’ and males’ self-esteem, (d) There is a very slight difference between female and male towards their own perception towards themselves, but it is not significant, (e) The level of Yemeni EFL undergraduate learners in speaking skill is a bit low (M= 9.94 (out of 20); SD=2.4; percentage 49.4%), (f) There is a significant relationship between self-esteem and spoken performance by Yemeni EFL learners (r=.365, p-value=.009<0.01). As a whole, this study contributed to the ESL/EFL by providing information on Yemeni Arabic speaking undergraduate female and male EFL learners in terms of their self-esteem and their oral communication performance.

Linguistic Imperialism: Viability of the Use of Native -Like Accent among English Language Learners

2022-11-26T19:01:11+00:00

This paper argues that English language should be used basically as a tool of communication, not as a tool of imperialism. There is no necessity for English language learners to speak in a native-like accent. Instead of spending much time, money and efforts on learning and emulating the different native speaker accents of English, English language learners should direct their efforts on learning what is important to develop their English language skills. The study devalues the importance of emulation of native accents of English. It uses the argumentative method to prove the argumentation logically. It illustrates that English language has become an international language and not a property of native speakers and it is not important to attach it with native speakers anymore. The study also discusses how that will help to avoid any hegemonic impact on the learners' culture and native language.

Analysis of Transaction Costs and Market Participation among Cassava Farmers in Osun State, Nigeria

2022-12-20T15:10:00+00:00

This study examined the effects of transaction cost variables on market participation among cassava farmers in Osun State, Nigeria. This was with a view to providing insight into how transaction cost factors can be managed to ensure that cassava farmers in Osun State participate more in the market for the purpose of promoting cassava production and hence agricultural growth as well as reducing poverty among the rural community. Access to market information, non-farm work, road condition, credit availability, access to telecommunication facilities, personal transport, farm size, farming experience, price of cassava, market distance, transport cost, dependency ratio, as well as age were used as proxies for transaction costs. The study made use of primary data by administering copies of a well-structured questionnaire to 100 cassava farmers drawn from three local governments in the State. Data obtained were analysed descriptively using frequencies, tables, simple percentages as well as pie and bar charts. Data collected were also analysed by inferential statistical procedure using Logit regression model. Results of the logit regression showed that access to market information and farm size have significant positive effects on cassava farmers’ participation in the market (). Findings also revealed that cost of transportation and dependency ratio have weakly significant negative effects on the probability of cassava farmers participating in the market (). The study concluded that access to market information and farm size play significant positive roles in the participation of cassava farmers in the market. Thus, policies that are aimed at lowering transaction costs through the creation of an enabling environment in which farmers can easily access market information, cultivate more farmlands and incur low cost of transportation are recommended.