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Students become more actively involved in their studies when teachers integrate ICT into their lessons. Since computer self-efficacy is positively related to the integration of technology in education, improving pre-service teachers' computer self-efficacy could increase their intention to use technology. The present study explores the association between computer self-efficacy (basic technology skills, advanced technology skills, and technology for pedagogy) and pre-service teachers' intentions to use technology (traditional use of technology and constructivist use of technology). Data collected from 267 Bahrain Teachers College students were used to validate the questionnaires using confirmatory factor analysis. The Structural equation modeling approach was used to explore the hypothesized relationships. Mediation analysis was also performed, and the results indicated that basic technology skills and advanced technology skills mediated the relationship between technology for pedagogy and the traditional use of technology. Advanced technology skills did not mediate the relationship between technology for pedagogy and constructivist use of technology.

Purpose: This study examined the conceptions of assessment and its relationship to self-regulation and self-confidence among pre-service teachers. Design/methodology/approach: Participants were 278 pre-service students attending a teacher's college in Bahrain. This study employed the structural equation modeling (SEM) approach to investigate the relationships among the observed variables. Findings: The results revealed that the conceptions of assessment had positively impacted the academic achievements of students who were accountable. In addition, the conceptions that made schools accountable had a positive relationship with academic achievement, whereas students who ignored the assessment, received a negative effect on self-regulation. Research limitations/implications: The generalization of the results to other populations in Bahrain should be made with caution since this study involved a relatively small number of students from Bahrain. Policymakers might be encouraged to consider students' appropriate response to their conceptions of assessment when assessments are being developed. Originality/value: This study might encourage educators and policymakers in Bahrain to develop strategies to further improve students' self-confidence, self-regulation, and academic achievement.

We investigated the relationships between global self-esteem, academic self-efficacy and academic performance among a sample of 255 college students in the United Arab Emirates. The widely used Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale (RSES; Rosenberg, 1965) and an academic self-efficacy scale, modified from (Jinks and Morgan, 1999) were used to assess student's self-esteem and their academic self-efficacy. Each student's average grade for the mid-semester and final semester was used as the performance measure. Confirmatory factor analyses using Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS) version 18 performed on the scores of the RSES revealed two factors (positive and negative self-esteem) as hypothesized. Correlated results indicated significant relationships between global self-esteem and academic self-efficacy. Also academic achievement was associated with having high academic self-efficacy.

We investigated students' perceptions of their science classroom environments with the use of the What Is Happening In this Class? (WIHIC) questionnaire at the university level in Myanmar. The translated questionnaire was administered to 251 students in first-year science classes at a university. Both exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis supported the reliability and factorial validity of the Myanmar version of the WIHIC. The constructs of the WIHIC were significantly correlated, but gender differences were not detected in correlations between WIHIC scales. Future research is needed to see if our Myanmar version of the WIHIC fits other samples in schools and universities in this context. It is also suggested that future studies include measures of student attitudes and academic achievement to permit investigation of associations between the learning environment and student outcomes in this country.

When designing Educational Computer Games, designers usually consider target age, interactivity, interface and other related issues. They rarely explore the genres which should employ into one type of educational game. Recently, some digital game-based researchers made attempt to combine game genre with learning theory. Different researchers use different pedagogy conceptions. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the appropriate computer genre in designing effective educational computer games that can be used as learning tools in Thai undergraduate classrooms by integrating the learning conceptions from the previous work of those researcher's. The following steps are used to conduct this study: summarize the survey of Thai students' opinions toward game genre; analyse the characteristics of genre of computer game; match those characteristics of genre with learning theories; and propose the conceptual model from the comparison. The results of this analysis can be used as a guideline for Educational computer game designers in considering appropriate genres of game for education purpose.

Teaching in the classroom today can no longer sustain the interest of students and be effective if the process involves traditional approach--teachers as sole provider of content information. In recent years technology has played a significant role in transforming education to more progressive and interactive activities. However the use of technology itself does not produce positive results in quality of learning and students' achievement. Teachers must be competent in subject knowledge, pedagogical skills and technological know-how. The Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge or TPACK as a conceptual framework can guide teachers to understand the complex relations between the six components of the model. There has been numerous studies on TPACK in international contexts beyond cultural and language boundaries. This paper examined recent studies on TPACK in various countries and reports findings from a study conducted with student teachers in the UAE.

The overarching aim of this study was to investigate students' perceptions of the learning environment and whether these influenced their motivation and self-regulation in learning English as a second language at the university level in Jordan. Our sample involved 994 students, drawn from 13 schools, within three faculties (humanities, health sciences and engineering) of one university. The collection of data involved the administration of two surveys: one to assess students' perceptions of the learning environment and another to assess students' motivation and self-regulation in learning English as a second language. The results of analyses strongly supported the reliability and validity of the surveys when used at the university level in Jordan, thereby providing confidence in the results of the present study. Simple correlation and multiple regression analysis were used to examine the influence of students' perceptions of the learning environment of English language classes on self-reports of motivation and self-regulation. Statistically significant (p < 0.05) simple correlations were found between students' perceptions of their learning environment and their motivation and self-regulation. The regression weights (ß) indicated that scales of the learning environment were positively, statistically significantly (p < 0.05) and independently related to the motivation and self-regulation outcomes.

We investigated whether the introduction of games into college-level mathematics classes in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was effective in terms of improving students' perceptions of the learning environment and their attitudes towards of mathematics. A pre-post design involved the administration of English and Arabic versions of two surveys (one to assess students' perceptions of the learning environment and the other to assess their attitudes) after modification to ensure their relevance for college-level mathematics students in the UAE. For a sample of 33 classes (352 students), eight of which (90 students) were exposed to mathematics games, students involved in mathematics games perceived statistically significantly more teacher support, involvement, personal relevance, enjoyment of mathematics lessons and academic efficacy.

Personal epistemological beliefs, one's beliefs about the nature and acquisition of knowledge, and their role in the learning process have become a focus of a growing body of research in recent years. Studies show that a person's epistemological beliefs play an important role in their intellectual development as well as in learning specific subjects. The range of labels to describe personal epistemology include epistemological beliefs, reflective judgement, ways of knowing, epistemological reflection, epistemological theories, beliefs and resources. Research in personal epistemology looks into ways of knowing, focusing on the nature of knowledge and beliefs about learning. William Perry was a key early researcher in the field of epistemological beliefs. Following on from Perry's seminal work in this area, Belenky, Clinchy, Goldberger and Tarule took up the study of women's epistemological beliefs. The Women's Ways of Knowing, as they describe their work, concerned "how women know what they know" and identified particular ways of knowing that women cultivated and valued, building on Perry's scheme of cognitive development by including further categories emerging from participants' reports. Women's Ways of Knowing (WWK) proposed five epistemological perspectives by which women know and view the world. These are (1) silence; (2) subjective knowing; (3) received knowing; (4) procedural knowing; and (5) constructed knowing. (Contains 1 table.)

Personal epistemological beliefs influence one's cognitive and metacognitive operations in a significant way. They also influence how teachers conceptualize teaching. It is therefore essential for teacher educators to understand the epistemological beliefs that pre-service teachers are holding to foster mature epistemological outlooks that could facilitate educational reforms. This study surveyed 537 Singapore pre-service teachers' epistemological beliefs. The results indicate that Singapore pre-service teachers were fairly homogenous in their beliefs. They place much emphasis on learning effort. Although they seem to be inclined to believe that knowledge is uncertain, they also tend to believe in the experts. Generally, the profiles suggest that it may be necessary for Singapore teacher educators to foster more mature epistemological outlooks among its pre-service teachers. (Contains 7 tables.)

Advancement in information and communication technologies has brought about the development of newer tools that can promote collaborative learning. Conversant Media is a tool that allows users to engage in collaborative discussion based on viewing authentic video footages. This article reports the impact of the use of the tool on collaborative learning in a teacher education course. The trainee teachers engaged themselves enthusiastically in this exercise going beyond the minimum number of postings expected of them. Both the quantity and quality of interaction improved over the three activities they were engaged in. Writing critical comments on classroom events and reading feedback from peers were highly valued by the trainee teachers. Conversant Media has the potential for use in teacher education as an alternative means to classroom visits.