The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of science fiction stories developed by comic technique on creative thinking skills of 11th grade students. The one-group pretest-posttest design is used in the study. Science-fiction stories developed by comics technique was used as training materials. A black and white comic book series created by Jean-Pierre Petit and Gilles d’Agostini, which has parallels with modern physics unit of physics curriculum, was selected. The research was conducted in the first semester of the school year of 2012/2013 and carried out with 30 students who studied in Anatolian High School for 5 weeks during class hours. The Divergent Thinking Scale (DTS) developed by Williams (1980) was used to measure the students' creative thinking skills. Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Tests, the associated samples t-test, and descriptive analysis techniques were used to analyze the data. The results of the study revealed that there was a significant difference between Creativity Assessment Packet pre-test and post-test scores. Also, there was a significant difference between flexibility and originality pre-test and post-test scores, which are creative thinking sub-dimensions, of students who participated in the research. It was concluded from the study that science fiction studies developed using comic technique could be as a material to improve students’ creative thinking abilities.

Keywords: Science-Fiction, Comics, Physics Education, Creative Thinking Skills

DOI : 10.16986/HUJE.2015014138 [HTML]

This study is aimed to examine whether physical activity games within physical education lessons affect on character development of fourth class elementary students. It has been implemented as an experimental design which included pre-test post-test with control group in the research. The study was carried out on two groups, experimental and control groups, consisting of a total of 60 students. Both groups were implemented “Youth Sports Value Questionnaire” which is originally developed by Martin J. Lee, Jean Whitehead and Nick Balchin (2000) and later reorganised by Frogozo (2006), as a pre-test before training and as a post-test after training. SPSS was used for statistical analysis of research data. In the data analysis, "arithmetic mean”, “standard deviation" and “t-test” were used. At the end of the research, it is found that physical activity games prepared for the development of character in addition to the matters Physical Education course affected on the character development of students in the experimental group. Even though there was an increase between pre-test and post-test values of students in the control group educated only physical education course, this increase was not significantly different in favor of protest.

Keywords: Character, Character development, Character education, Physical education.

DOI : 10.16986/HUJE.2016015695 [HTML]

This study attempts to test the effectiveness of a feedback model which combines teacher and peer feedback systematically on improving students’ writing ability in the context of a multiple draft writing course. 57 Turkish EFL students participated in the study which lasted for a 15-week semester. The experimental and control groups were provided different feedback treatments and then statistically compared in terms of the revisions they made in their essay drafts and their writing improvement. A total of 1197 essay drafts, were coded and compared for three types of revisions: content, organization and form. In order to collect data on students’ attitudes towards writing and feedback, students were given a questionnaire and asked to write reflections about their writing process. Çalışmanın sonuçları göstermiştir ki, geleneksel öğretmen dönütü modeli genel anlamda daha fazla düzeltme yapılmasını sağlarken, iki farklı dönüt uygulaması düzeltme kalitesi ve yazma becerisi gelişmesinde istatistiksel açıdan farklı sonuçlar ortaya çıkarmamıştır. The results of the study revealed that while the traditional teacher feedback model created more revisions, the two different feedback models did not create statistically meaningful differences in terms of number of revisions and writing quality. However, the combined peer-teacher feedback model was found to be more successful in creating more positive attitudes towards peer feedback and self-revision. In terms of attitudes towards the difficulty of writing activity, on the other hand, important differences were not detected. Based on these results, suggestions have been made about the design and application of feedback activities in the writing class.

Keywords: Peer feedback, teacher feedback, revision, drafting, L2 writing

DOI : 10.16986/HUJE.2016015701 [HTML]

The purpose of this study is to understand sources of organizational toxicity at university, effects of organizational toxicity, strategies to cope with organizational toxicity perceived by faculty, and to reveal organizational toxicity metaphors produced by them. This is a qualitative research with a phenomenological design. Sampling called either snowball or chain, a technique in purposive sampling method, was used. The participants of the study consisted of 40 volunteer faculty who were selected from a state university. Data were collected via individual semi-structured interview form that was developed by the researchers based on the literature review, expert opinions, and pilot study. Content analysis method was applied. Faculty’s perceptions on organizational toxicity were examined within the framework of four sub-themes: narcissistic, aggressive, unethical and rigid behaviours; perceived effects of toxicity were examined under three sub-themes: draining, psychologically recurring and disconnecting; and perceived strategies to cope with toxicity were examined under four sub-themes: avoidance, resistance, social support and conflict. Faculty’s metaphors were examined under the themes: microorganism, action/event, nature/geography, disease, material/tool, animal, plant, and food.

Keywords: Organizational toxicity, Perceived effects of toxicity, Coping strategies with toxicity, Higher education, Faculty

DOI : 10.16986/HUJE.2016015696 [HTML]

This study aimed to determine the relationship between creative thinking and critical thinking skills of students. Participating university students (N= 174) during the 2012 fall semester had a mean age of 21.74 years. The data were obtained using the California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory and the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking. A quantitative research method was used for collection, analysis and interpretation of data. According to the results, there was a significant positive correlation between creative thinking and critical thinking skills of students in the low level. The strength of this correlation varied from medium to significant in the Visual Arts Education and Religion & Ethics Education departments; however, it was not significant in Mathematics Education or Preschool Education departments. Accordingly, it can be concluded that the significant relationship between creative and critical thinking of students pursuing degrees within the departments of Visual Arts or Religion & Ethics Education originates from the tendency of these students to use non-routine problem solving processes resulting from the nature of their learning climate and educational outcomes. Thus, it can be put forward that the use of non-routine problem solving processes plays a vital role in the significant correlation between creative thinking and critical thinking skills of students.

Keywords: Creativity, creative thinking, critical thinking, non-routine problem solving

DOI : 10.16986/HUJE.2016018493 [HTML]

The purpose of this study is to analyze university students’ general self-efficacy perception according to “gender”, “the place which the students spent most of their lives”, “perceived mother attitude”, “perceived father attitude” and “efficiency perception of high school education and school life”. The study group of the research consists of 628 first year undergraduate students with various undergraduate departments in Ankara. In collecting the data related to the independent variables, Personal Information Form developed by the researchers has been used; in collecting the data related to the students’ general self-efficacy perception, the General Self-Efficacy Scale has been used. The obtained data is analyzed with t-test for comparing dyadic groups; one way analysis of variance for multiple groups. According to the results, the university students’ general self-efficacy perception differs significantly in terms of “the place which the students spent most of their lives”, “perceived mother attitude”, “perceived father attitude” and “efficiency perception of high school education and school life”; but does not differ significantly according to gender. In accordance with this obtained data, the results have been discussed and advice have been given.

Keywords: General self-efficacy, adolescent, university students

DOI : 10.16986/HUJE.2015014223 [HTML]

In this respect, objective of the study consists of analysis of content and illustration features of children's picture books published in Turkey during the years 2000-2010. In the research, scan-descriptive method was used. For the theoretical part of the research, sources were scanned and information was compiled. Book review form was applied on 150 books consisting of preschool story books published during 2000-2010. Through the book review from, physical, illustration, content and character features of the books were examined. The study group of the research was determined using appropriate sampling method. The study group consisted of 150 books obtained from various bookstores and libraries located in Ankara, published during 2000-2010 in Turkish and which appeal to preschool study group. In terms of illustrating features, examined books were determined as to have mainly; colored, unframed and simple edge pictures. In children's picture books in general, simply edge pictures are preferred. The findings are discussed in the light of the relevant literature.

Keywords: picture books, character, content, illustration, children literature

DOI : 10.16986/HUJE.2015014224 [HTML]

Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) has been considered to be the most important factor for identifying the role of the teacher in carrying out effective teaching. This paper examines, with respect to the components of PCK, the types of difficulties that a group of pre-service teachers encountered during the process of designing teaching activities. For this purpose, 8 pre-service teachers (4 elementary mathematics and 4 classroom teachers) are observed whilst teaching mathematics during the Teaching Practicum course and are interviewed. The study reveals that both groups of pre-service teachers had similar problems in teaching practices. Pre-service teachers experienced difficulties in determining the activities with regard to prior knowledge of the students, deciding the difficulty level of the activities and sorting them, informing students about the purpose of the activities, conducting activities according to their perceived purposes and making transitions between activities.

Keywords: Pedagogical Content Knowledge, pre-service teachers, student’s activity

DOI : 10.16986/HUJE.2015014664 [HTML]

In current meta-analysis study, the effect of gender on academic procrastination was tested. First of all, studies obtained by literature review were collected in a pool (N = 97). At the end of the investigations in line with the criteria determined by researchers, 25 studies were included in the analysis. The results of random effect model revealed that gender has a low-level effect on academic procrastination (f=25, d= .25, p<.001, SEd= .05). Research groups (high school and university), research country (Turkey, others) research types (thesis or article) were determined as moderator variables within the present study. Only research country variable was determined as moderator variable (Qb= 15.48, df= 1, p<.05). According to the research results, gender is a variable that causes an effect on academic procrastination. In addition, there is a significant difference between research in Turkey and others with regard to the effect of gender on academic procrastination.

Keywords: Academic procrastination, gender, meta-analysis

DOI : 10.16986/HUJE.2016015387 [HTML]

In this study, the effect of argumentation based laboratory activities on science pre-teachers’ science process skills and attitudes towards laboratory course was investigated. The study which was designed on mixed methods research was conducted with 53 science pre-teachers studying in Science Teaching Department. These students were grouped into two groups which consisted of students with high and low science process skills according to their pre-test scores from Science Process Skills Test (SPST). This way, it was aimed to compare the effect of argumentation based laboratory activities on students with lower and higher science process skills. Argumentation based laboratory activities were designed according to Argument-Driven Inquiry and Science Writing Heuristic approaches. SPST, Chemistry Laboratory Behaviour Scale, and written interview form were used to measure the effect of argumentation based laboratory activities on students’ science process skills, attitudes towards chemistry laboratory course, and their views about the application, respectively. The study concluded that the argumentation based laboratory activities improved students’ science process skills, as well as with a higher improvement for students with lower science process skills. It was seen that the application provided a positive increase in the students’ attitudes towards laboratory courses in both groups. A high majority of the 19 students whose views were acquired stated that the application was beneficial and that it contributed to both their academic success and personal development.

Keywords: Argumentation, laboratory, science process skill, attitude

DOI : 10.16986/HUJE.2016015700 [HTML]

The purpose of this study is to investigate factors affecting the item parameter estimation, item fit and classification accuracy of the Cognitive Diagnostic Models (CDM).For this purpose, the data is generated by using noncompensatory model (DINA) according to various factors (sample size, correlation between attributes, the number of attributes, the number of item, s and g parameters levels). The simulated data were analyzed by using DINA models. Data simulation and analyses were conducted by using R 3.0 with CDM package. The output files were organized for parameter estimation, item fit and classification accuracy for both main and interaction effects. By using DINA analysis model obtained from mean values of "Absolute Mean Bias” (MOY) to estimate g parameter, sample size, number of items and levels of g and s parameters of significant effect were observed. s parameter estimation obtained from the mean values MOY, sample size, level of the correlation between attributes and level of the s and g parameters of a significant effect were observed. By using DINA analysis model obtained from mean values of RMSEA, sample size, number of item, number of attribute and levels of g and s parameters of significant effect was observed. By using DINA analysis model obtained from mean values of “Correct Classification Rate (CCR)”, number of item, number of attribute and levels of g and s parameters of significant effect was observed.

Keywords: Cognitive Diagnostic Models, DINA Model, parameter estimation, classification accuracy

DOI : 10.16986/HUJE.2015014663 [HTML]

This study aimed to determine German teachers’ views on in-service field education and meta-cognitive awareness levels in Turkey. Carried out both quantitatively and qualitatively, an action research design has been applied and Nvivo-8 program has been used in the study. Descriptive quantitative aspect of the study made use of SPSS 17 package program. Among 435 teachers appointed to high schools as German teachers in 2013 in Turkey, 64 of them who attended to “Special Teching Methods and Techniques In-service Field Education Seminar (German)” held in Erzurum constituted the the study group. As a means of data collection, Duman’s (2013) “A Meta-cognitive Awareness Scale” has been used. While evaluating teachers’ views according to variables, independent group t-test has been used for analyzing parametric items in binary comparisons and MWU tests for non-parametric items. In this study, among the views of teachers, only items having significant difference in terms of variables have been presented. In qualitative aspect of the study the effectiveness, usefulness and attainments of in-service education were asked to teachers. As a consequence of gualitative results it was come out that in-service education makes both realization of various learning ways and reminding that evaluation is not only student-dimentional. As for quantitative results, it was seen that German teachers have high level of meta-cognitive awareness and this meta-cognitive awareness showed significant difference in terms of gender variable. In this context, certain recommnedations are put forward in order to help teachers acquire meta-cognitive awareness which can enable them to find solutions they encounter.

Keywords: in-service field education, German teacher, meta-cognitive awareness

DOI : 10.16986/HUJE.2016016430 [HTML]