Authors:Bhawana Shrestha Abstract: This article explores my process of being emotionally literate, realizing my personal power through it and deciding to move ahead with my Ph.D. to explore further as my contribution in the flourishing of humanity. In this qualitative reflective self-study, I have used my detailed personal, professional, and academic reflective journal and audio-visual narratives that I had kept over seven years as data to explore the process of learning. The article reveals my process of learning from my experiences as a confused Nepali girl to my experience of working as a journalist, to an aspiring educational leader and a researcher. The results are discussed using a microscopic lens into my childhood and understanding how the social settings were playing a major role in my learning and how emotional intelligence played an instrumental role in deconstructing that and helped me understand myself better and urging me to explore further through my Ph.D. research as an educational leader. PubDate: Mon, 29 Nov 2021 17:00:29 PST
Authors:Melike Özüdoğru Dr. Abstract: This study aimed to investigate the identities of pre-service teachers and the effects of teaching practice and video reflections on the identities of pre-service teachers enrolled in the Turkish Language Teaching Department. In this study, a qualitative research design, mainly a case study, was employed. This study was conducted based on the voluntary participation of six senior pre-service teachers enrolled in the Teaching Practicum course in the spring semester of 2019. The data were collected through video reflections, pre-practice and post-practice teaching focus-group interviews. The data were analyzed through a cyclical – reiterative analysis process. The results showed that the identities of pre-service teachers could be grouped under three sub-identities: the subject-matter expert, didactical expert, and pedagogical expert identities. Also, pre-service Turkish Language teachers saw their identity at the beginning as being more cue-based and exemplar-based. However, at the end of the practicum, they heavily displayed rule-based identities due to the requirements of the Turkish educational system or schema-based identities that mainly emerged with the impact of contextual factors and conditions of the practicum schools. The findings of the study were discussed in detail and implications for practice and future research were provided. PubDate: Mon, 29 Nov 2021 17:00:17 PST
Authors:Furkan Kasikci et al. Abstract: This study was conducted to test whether social-emotional learning skills are a significant predictor of academic achievement and happiness in middle school students. A total of three different data collection tools were used in the study: A Personal Information Form, The Social-Emotional Learning Skills Scale and The Adolescent Happiness Scale. The study was carried out with 337 middle school students from six different middle schools in Erzurum province. Of these students, 203 (60.2%) were female, and 134 (39.8%) were male. The ages of these students varied between 10 and 14, and the mean age was 12.07 (Sd = 0.93). Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and hierarchical regression analysis were employed in the analysis of the data. The findings obtained as a result of the study indicated that there were positive and significant correlations between social-emotional learning skills and academic achievement and happiness. In addition, social-emotional learning skills were a significant predictor of academic achievement and happiness in middle school students. Accordingly, social-emotional learning skills explained 18% of the total variance in academic achievement and 44% of the variance in happiness in middle school students. When all these results are evaluated together, it can be said that promoting the social-emotional learning skills of middle school students will increase academic achievement and happiness. PubDate: Mon, 29 Nov 2021 17:00:02 PST
Authors:M. Emir Ruzgar Abstract: The primary purpose of the present study was to examine what good teaching is and what characteristics good teachers carry for preservice teachers that were registered to an introductory teaching class during at a land-grant university in Midwest, USA. Participants included 18 teacher candidates. I collected the data by conducting semi-structured interviews with the participants. The findings of the study indicate that good teaching is (1) creative, (2) student-centered, (3) stimulative, (4) relevant, (5) adaptable, and (6) challenging. Similarly, the findings also reveal that good teachers (1) build personal relationships with their students, (2) mentor their students, (3) are enthusiastic, (4) respect their students, and (5) are experts in their field. Based on the findings of the study, I argue that the conception of good teaching and good teachers that emerged from this study is congruent with other teaching frameworks such as culturally relevant teaching. PubDate: Mon, 29 Nov 2021 16:59:49 PST
Authors:Pelin AKSÜT et al. Abstract: This study examined an integration of digital stories in teaching environmental concepts to preschool children aged 3-6 in Turkey. The participants were the forth-grade preservice teachers who used a variety of activities to implement environmental education plans. Structured questionnaires were employed as the main data collection tool. The Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework served as a springboard to analyze the data. The findings of this study demonstrate that creating and implementing digital stories in the preschool curriculum can enhance students' learning outcomes. Also the digital stories can be handled as a teaching method in the preschool period. As a result, the integration of technology with pedagogy and content in preschool education has demonstrated the importance of TPACK. PubDate: Mon, 29 Nov 2021 16:59:37 PST
Authors:BARIŞ ÇETİN Abstract: This study aimed to determine the effects of university students' gender, weekly study hours, academic motivation, metacognition, and self-regulated learning levels on their overall academic achievement and to examine whether academic motivation, metacognition and self-regulated learning total scores predicted their GPAs. This study utilized a survey and prediction research design to analyze the research questions posed. The participants of the study consisted of 86 undergraduate students attending various programs of a university in Western Canada. The research data were collected using the “Metacognitive Awareness Inventory (MAI)” developed by Schraw and Dennison (1994), the “Self-regulated learning perception scale (SASR)” developed by Dugan and Andrade (2011), the "Academic Motivation Scale (AMS-C 28) College Version" developed by Vallerand, Pelletier, Blais, Brière, Senécal and Vallières (1992), and the “demographic form”. We found a significant relationship between the university students' self-regulated learning, metacognition and academic motivation scores, and their grade point averages (GPAs). We also determined that the total scores related to the university students’ self-regulated learning, metacognition and academic motivation significantly predicted their GPAs, and that the gender and weekly study hours of the university students did not have a significant effect on their self-regulated learning, metacognition, academic motivation and academic GPA. PubDate: Mon, 29 Nov 2021 16:59:27 PST
Authors:Adem Bayar et al. Abstract: The covid-19 virus, which affects the whole world, has affected human life in many areas, firstly including health and economy. Concordantly, first education was broken for two weeks; then, compulsory distance education started in Turkey. With this qualitative research, it is aimed to deeply examine the thoughts of the students from Amasya University about the distance education. The study group of this current research consists of 18 students studying at Amasya University in the 2020-2021 academic year. Data has been collected through a semi-structured interview form. The analysis of the data was done by descriptive analysis method. While some of the participants think that distance education is inefficient and makes the student passive some thinks that distance education is advantageous. Thanks to distance education, it is easy to reach and monitor the lessons. The most common problems of students can be listed as problems such as fear of academic failure and anxiety for the future, connection issues, lack of motivation, lack of documentation and material, and communication problems. In order to overcome these determined problems, the participant students have some recommendations such as students should be activate, students should be motivated, the sound and camera in the system should be improved, internet package should be provided to the students, and infrastructure should be improved. Based on the findings of this research, the researchers have concluded that the distance education process should be more qualified over time. When development is thought of as a process, today's shortcomings will shed light on the ways of tomorrow. PubDate: Mon, 29 Nov 2021 16:59:15 PST
Authors:Batsheva R. Guy et al. Abstract: Group Level Assessment (GLA) allows participants/co-researchers the opportunity to voice their opinion on a specific topic, while also developing action strategies for change. The purpose of the method is to empower participants and provide them an outlet to share their experiences, in addition to develop a salient action plan. In this article, we describe how the process of participating in a GLA impacted the undergraduate women engineering students that participated. We conclude that merely facilitating a GLA positively impacted participants, aside from the action steps. Women that participated in the GLA felt supported and that their voice was heard, as well as developed heightened awareness of other women’s experiences. PubDate: Mon, 29 Nov 2021 16:59:02 PST
Authors:Metin KAYA Abstract: The current study aims to examine the relationships between organizational innovativeness levels of schools and school administrators’ demographic characteristics, school climate, school leadership and job satisfaction. To this end, this survey study employed a correlational design. The sample of the study consisted of the school administrators who participated in TALIS 2018 study. Stratified sampling is used in TALIS surveys for selecting samples. The sample consisted of 808 school administrators working in primary schools, lower secondary schools and high schools. In data analysis, descriptive statistics, the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient technique and the hierarchical multiple linear regression analysis technique were used. A positive medium-level relationship between organizational innovativeness and academic pressure and distributed leadership, a positive weak relationship between organizational innovativeness and stakeholder involvement, job satisfaction with the work environment, job satisfaction with profession and system leadership were identified in the study. Besides, it was revealed that school size, a lack of resources and personnel in schools, school climate, school leadership and school administrators’ job satisfaction had significant contributions to organizational innovativeness levels. PubDate: Mon, 29 Nov 2021 16:58:50 PST
Authors:Divonna Stebick et al. Abstract: Historically, formative assessment has been credited with increasing student achievement. Student outcomes increase when constructive, immediate, formative feedback is provided in a systematic way for all students. Educators need to implement effective formative assessments in order to deepen learning through more critical thinking and reflection. Teachers who monitor student progress and make instructional adjustments based on gathered information implement formative assessment. Teachers in this study used teacher inquiry to reflect upon their practice in order to design a reflective record tool. This tool was intended as a supporting assessment in a Response to Intervention (RtI) service delivery model. Results showed teacher reflections in designing and field-testing a systematic reflective record tool. PubDate: Mon, 29 Nov 2021 16:58:34 PST
Authors:Robby L. Robinette Abstract: As part of a mixed-methods reconnaissance action research study, the impressions teachers had on using an innovation configuration for vocabulary instruction at an English education center in China was assessed. The quantitative data strand consisted of lesson artifacts and documents. The qualitative data strand consisted of semi-structured interviews with two English as a foreign language teachers. Integrating both the quantitative and qualitative strands of data illuminated (1) teachers had a positive impression on using the innovation configuration to address what they should cover for vocabulary instruction, (2) they used the innovation configurations to identify strengths and areas for improvement, and (3) they rethought how to structure their lessons to better engage students. These findings will be used to inform subsequent cycles of this action research project. These initial results, though, indicate that providing appropriate resources to stimulate teachers may prove beneficial in expanding their pedagogic knowledge. PubDate: Mon, 29 Nov 2021 16:58:21 PST
Authors:Seyithan Demirdag Abstract: This study examined the school principals' instructional leadership as the predictor of teachers' motivation. The sample included 306 elementary school teachers. The study took place in the Western Black Sea Region of Turkey. Data collection tools included two instruments: "The Instructional Leadership Scale” (ILS) and "The Teacher Motivation Scale” (TMS). Correlation analyses was employed to examine the relationship between school principals' instructional leadership and teacher motivation. Multiple regression analysis was used to identify the predictive role of instructional leadership in teacher motivation. The findings of this study demonstrate significant relationships between instructional leadership and teacher motivation. Ultimately, instructional leadership can serve as predictor of teacher motivation. PubDate: Mon, 29 Nov 2021 16:58:09 PST
Authors:İbrahim Limon et al. Abstract: This study investigates the relationship between change fatigue and job satisfaction. It also aims to test the moderator role of gender and experience in this relationship. To this end, we conducted an online data collection procedure during the 2020-2021 academic year. Participants were recruited through convenient sampling and they were working in different parts of Turkey. 379 teachers participated in the study voluntarily. PROCESS macro was used to test the moderator role of gender and experience. The findings showed that change fatigue and job satisfaction was negatively correlated. While gender moderated the relationship between change fatigue and job satisfaction, the experience did not. The findings were discussed based on the previous literature and some suggestions were presented. PubDate: Mon, 29 Nov 2021 16:57:54 PST
Authors:SADEGÜL AKBABA ALTUN et al. Abstract: Covid-19 pandemic, which broke out in the late 2019 and we are still facing today, has made an enormous impact throughout the world and directly caused an extraordinary disruption of many systems globally including educational ones and affected the lives lots of students and families all over the world. Different kinds of measures were abruptly taken in order to ensure that students, teachers and school principals continued their educational processes safely and also to lessen the crisis situation and chaos. One of these measures was country-wide school closures and along with Turkey, most of the countries chose to close schools and make a quick transition to remote learning. During those weeks, several policy responses aimed at making sure that students attended online classes regularly and that they felt well. In the meantime, diverse stakeholders of educational systems (students, teachers, educational leaders etc.) have learned some lessons from this terrifying pandemic. The purpose of this study is to emphasize the learnings that Turkish school principals experienced during that school closure period in Turkey. Within the scope of maximum diversity sampling, one of the purposeful sampling methods, a sampling frame was established and 105 school principals working in primary, secondary and high schools in different provinces participated in the study. In the study, in which qualitative online survey method was used, a Google drive form with open-ended questions was exploited. Based on the findings obtained in the study, main themes have been created. These are personal, organizational and educational learnings. PubDate: Mon, 29 Nov 2021 16:57:41 PST
Authors:Hayrunnisa ASLAN Abstract: This study aims at analysing future expectations of Syrian secondary school students that are living in Turkey. Considering the fact that these students, who constitute the study group in this research, will be the teenage adults of the country in the next ten years, they will significantly affect the future of Syria if they get back to their home country or Turkey if they stay here. Because of this reason, it is of crucial importance to identify the future expectations of these students. The issues that are investigated in this study are migration experiences of Syrian secondary school students, the education they will receive within the scope of their expectations for the next year and for the next ten years, their vocational preferences, the places where they are planning to live, the support and barriers they face while they try to reach their expectations, and the changes that they want to make about their life. The study findings put forward important results that should be considered during the process of planning the education and psycho-social support to be rendered to Syrian secondary school students. PubDate: Mon, 29 Nov 2021 16:57:30 PST
Authors:Fatih Şahin Dr. et al. Abstract: This research aimed to determine ethical teacher behaviors according to the opinions of prospective teachers and teachers. In this qualitatively designed study, the phenomenology design was used, and 30 participants were interviewed. Research results showed that the participants understood the responsibilities of teachers, the respect and importance of the teaching profession, effective teaching, developing healthy relationships with school members, and benefiting students and society from teacher's professional ethics. Almost all of the participants stated that the teaching profession should have unique ethical codes for different reasons. Ethical teacher behavior has emerged within the scope of rights and justice, interest and importance to people and the profession, not to harm or benefit, and the boundary of public and private space. Finally, suggestions for improving professional teaching ethics, which can be evaluated in professional, individual, social, organizational, and political contexts, were put forward in the research. It is believed that the research will make a significant contribution to the literature, as it addresses the issue of ethics by taking the views of teachers both prepared for the profession and within the profession, reveals the specific context in Turkey, and reflects descriptions of real-life experiences. PubDate: Mon, 29 Nov 2021 16:57:17 PST
Authors:Gülçin Zeybek Abstract: In this study, it is aimed to determine the effect of the layered curriculum activities on students' academic achievement and retention of learning and to determine the students' views regarding the applied program. The research was carried out with random experimental model with pretest-posttest control group. In addition to quantitative data, qualitative data were collected through the interview method and quantitative data were explained and deepened in this way. The study group of the research was composed of 24 students who were studying in 10th grade of the “information technologies” field in a vocational and technical high school in a city center of Turkey in 2014-2015 academic year. The data of the research were collected by the achievement test and semi-structured interview form developed by the researcher. As a result of the research, it was observed that there was a significant difference in favor of the experimental group between the averages obtained from the posttest and permanance test of the students in the experimental group where the activities based on the layered curriculum were applied and the students in the control group where the activities based on the existing program were applied. Students stated generally positive opinions about the layered curriculum process. PubDate: Tue, 01 Jun 2021 07:02:18 PDT