This research aims to develop tasks based upon projects founded on action-based approach and the application of these tasks in French Language Teaching and to reveal their influences on the reinforcement of the motivation, collaboration among students and the development of their communicational, linguistic and cultural skills. In line with this purpose, task plans in accordance with action-based approach have been formed, these tasks had been distributed to students in groups in order to be performed outside the school, and they had been realised under the guidance of researchers and had been presented in front of an audience. Moreover, in order to reveal experiences of students during this process, informal observation and focus group interviews had been conducted, products of students, diaries of students and that of researchers had been analysed. This research is designed as a qualitative case study, which intends to show up ignored points of the subject and to investigate it profoundly. In this direction, the data gathered had been analysed and thematised according to the qualitative approach. Finally two main themes and twenty-two subthemes have been achieved. Under the first main theme, the strengths of the projects, the output of the projects regarding students and the teaching processes take place whereas the second main theme is named limitations of the project and difficulties due to collaborative work of groups and to the milieu of the projects which were disconnected from the target language.

Keywords: Action-Based Approach, task based learning, social actor, collaboration, foreign language teaching.

DOI : 10.16986/HUJE.2017027584 [HTML]

The aim of this research is to determine academic staff opinions about curriculum which applied in faculty of fine arts departments of painting which established after 2005. The basic elements of curriculum which are objective (aim), content, educational process (teaching and learning) measurement-assessment were analyzed to determine opinions about curriculum. The research data were obtained from 27 academic staff working in departments of painting established after 2005. The data collected from questionnaires was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) 15.0 using frequency (f) and percentage (%) for each item. As a result of the research, it was found that the objective and contents of studio courses are sufficient but theoretical courses and elective courses are not sufficient. Another finding obtained in the research is that the modern educational technologies and museums are not effectively benefited in course process.

Keywords: Education, Curriculum, Fine Arts, Department of Painting

DOI : 10.16986/HUJE.2017027881 [HTML]

The purpose of this article is to introduce Collaboratively Learning to Teach STEM (CLT-STEM) module and to discuss the influence of it on preservice teachers’ STEM conceptions. Participants were chemistry and mathematics preservice teachers (N=48) attending to teaching methods courses at a university in Istanbul. Participants answered open-ended questions (before attending CLT-STEM and after completing CLT-STEM) about definition, methods of STEM education, teacher education for it and their own needs about it. Results of Wilcoxon-Sign test to analyze participants’ answers on definitions were significant. After attending CLT-STEM, participants’ definition of STEM education was reflecting integrated nature of STEM areas. STEM education methods and STEM teacher education related questions were analyzed descriptively by frequency analysis. Participants’ answers focused on activity-based and project-based, interdisciplinary methods in STEM education indeed these results are parallel to the nature of CLT-STEM. Similarly, for teacher education, participants discussed attending seminars, observing project examples and sharing experiences. This study provides an example of STEM education while informing about teacher education in this area.

Keywords: STEM education, Teacher education, Chemistry education, Mathematics education

DOI : 10.16986/HUJE.2017027115 [HTML]

The present study investigated to what extent Turkish-speaking upper-intermediate level second language learners of English can comprehend and produce implicatures. To this end, 90 freshman students completed a multiple-choice test, and responded to 12 situations in a discourse completion task (DCT). The participants had a moderately high level of success in the implicature comprehension test. Although the learners had considerable difficulty in comprehending understated negative criticism items, which flout the maxim of quantity, they were highly competent in comprehending relevance implicatures. The rates of success in quality and manner implicature comprehension were moderate. The participants were more successful in understanding particularized implicatures when compared to generalized implicatures. As for the production data, 70.6% of the responses contained implicatures. The mostly widely flouted maxim was the quality maxim for the purposes of creating sarcasm and achieving face management and politeness. The maxim of quality was flouted when responding to bad news or expressing anger in an unpleasant situation. When trying to express their opinions about the quality of a particular thing/person, participants tended to flout the maxim of quantity in order to avoid expressing their opinions directly, and making the referent disappointed. The participants did not tend to make use of implicatures in the case of requesting. The participants who realized requests via implicatures flouted the quantity maxim mostly. A significant correlation was not documented between participants’ pragmatic production and comprehension.

Keywords: pragmatic competence, implicatures, second language learning

DOI : 10.16986/HUJE.2017027932 [HTML]

The objective of this study is to determine the clustering of all the OECD member countries and other participating countries according to the average scores of self-efficacy, interest and attitude in the PISA 2012 student survey. Although the study which was compatible with the general survey model analysed 68 counties according to their scores of self-efficacy and interest, it covered 43 countries according to their attitude scores as there as missing data problem in 25 countries. K-means and discriminant analysis methods were used to provide evidence on the validity of the number of clusters obtained in the analysis. It was determined with the study that there were 8 groups according to the scores of self-efficacy, 7 groups according to the scores of interest and 6 groups according to the scores of attitude. It was also determined that Romania was a group on its own according to the scores of interest; Denmark and Norway were a group according to the scores of attitude; Japan and Korea were a group according to the scores of attitude as well. It was determined that the number of clusters obtained through calculation of Wilk’s lamda coefficient was the same with the number of clusters obtained through the full linkage method. The study also determined that Japan, Shanghai, Romania, Denmark-Norway and Japan-Korea, countries with a tendency of creating a group on their own, were significantly different in position from the other countries in the two-dimensional graphics obtained by the two dimensional scaling method. According to this result, it was easy through the multidimensional scaling method to visually distinguish the countries with a tendency of creating a cluster on their own through while this method was not as successful to distinguish cluster elements as the number elements in the cluster increased. The study revealed how the OECD countries and other participating countries were clustered according to the scores of self-efficacy, interest and attitude and also revealed the similarities and differences between the countries in these clusters which provided in idea about the positions of countries with respect to their PISA results.

Keywords: Cluster Analysis, PISA, Multi Dimension Scaling, Mathematics literacy

DOI : 10.16986/HUJE.2017026754 [HTML]

The aim of this research is to examine science teachers' self-efficacy beliefs in science teaching in terms of gender, age, school district, professional experiences, educational levels and trip arrangements variables. The research model is a survey model of descriptive research types. The sample of the research is 392 science teachers. As a data collection tool, Bozdoğan (2016) developed "Self-efficacy Scale for Teachers". The validity and reliability calculations of this scale were reexamined for this study. For the reliability of the scale, the Cronbach Alpha reliability coefficient was determined and found to be 0.907. For the validity of the scale, an exploratory factor analysis was performed and it was determined that it was one factor. Independent groups t-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used in the analysis of the data. As a result of the research, self-efficacy belief scores of science teachers' trip arrangements; The age, the region where the school is located, the professional experience, the educational levels and the trip arrangements, but is not influenced by the gender variable.

Keywords: Out-of-school learning environments, informal learning, science teacher, self-efficacy belief

DOI : 10.16986/HUJE.2017027586 [HTML]

The objective of this study is to examine the validity and reliability of the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) in Turkey and analyze the relationship between the quality of teacher-child interaction and children’s self-regulation skills. 120 preschool classrooms were observed in 2012-2013 Academic Year in Ankara and it was seen that fit indices of CLASS were at an appropriate level. It was seen that the quality of teacher-child interaction was at medium level in emotional support and classroom organization domains, and at low level in instructional support domain. It was found that the quality of teacher-child interaction varies by experience and the number of professional development courses taken by teachers. It was also seen that the children‘s self-regulation skills showed positive and high correlation with teacher-child interaction in the attention-impulse control sub-dimension and low correlation in the positive emotion sub-dimension. Teachers need additional assistance to improve the quality of their interactions with children, especially in instructional support. It is suggested that the quality of teacher-child interaction can be improved with a coaching system supporting teachers.

Keywords: Early childhood education, quality of teacher-child interaction, self-regulation

DOI : 10.16986/HUJE.2016018694 [HTML]

E-learning readiness is one of the most important variables in e-learning because e-learning readiness directly affects the success of e-learning initiatives. Therefore, more studies about e-learning readiness are needed to make them readier for e-learning. In this study, in this respect, the correlations of the components of e-learning readiness construct with each other were explored. Besides, senior and freshman students of faculty of education were compared in terms of their e-learning readiness levels. Finally, how the divisions of faculty of education clustered according to candidate teachers’ e-learning readiness levels was investigated. A total of 1802 undergraduate students enrolled in any division of Hacettepe University of Faculty of Education participated in the study. The scale used in the study consisted of 33 items and 6 factors, which were computer self-efficacy, internet self-efficacy, online communication self-efficacy, self-directed learning, learner control and motivation towards e-learning. Overall Cronbach Alpha reliability coefficient of the scale was calculated as 0.93. In conclusion, it was found the construct of e-learning readiness consisted of two sub-constructs, autonomous learning and technology usage self-efficacy. In addition, it was revealed senior students had higher e-learning readiness levels than freshman students did. Finally, the divisions of Primary Mathematics Education, Mathematics Education, Preschool Education, Psychological Counseling and Guidance, and Primary Education were found to be less ready for e-learning, whereas the divisions of German Language Teaching, Computer Education and Instructional Technology, Science Education, Physics Education, French Language Teaching, English Language Teaching, and Chemistry Education were found to be readier for it.

Keywords: E-learning, readiness, e-learning readiness, university students, teacher training institutions

DOI : 10.16986/HUJE.2016022763 [HTML]

The aim of this study is to search the process of cursive handwriting of the teachers who perform the cursive handwriting teaching activity and their sights about this process by the scope of the special content knowledge. In the study, the method of the case study by the interactive design belongs to qualitative approach was used. The study was conducted with the 6 first grade teachers who work in the 6 different primary schools in Bayburt City. Two of these schools are village schools depend on Bayburt City Centre. According to the result of the search, those are fixed that the most of the teachers attended to the study did not like their cursive handwriting and did not fall in line with the rules, changed spectrograms, and did not give the required importance. Moreover, some other findings were obtained that, teachers’ writing abilities were insufficient, fast writing affected the individual’s hand writing. Then teachers emphasized that cursive handwriting was so exhausting and current spectrogram rules were not proper with cursive handwriting.

Keywords: Cursive handwriting, primary school teachers, misspellings, special content knowledge, classroom teaching

DOI : 10.16986/HUJE.2017025067 [HTML]

The study aims at examining the effects of principal leadership and school autonomy on students’ reading literacy performance in Korea, Mexico and Turkey according to the PISA 2012 results. This is a correlational research study. The sample covers 15 year-old students taking PISA 2012 exam in Korea, Mexico and Turkey. The data of the study was comprised of the students’ reading literacy performance and the questionnaire that the school principals responded in Korea, Mexico and Turkey in PISA 2012. The study revealed that school principals in Mexico and Turkey showed leadership more frequently than the ones in Korea. The study also indicated that both the principal leadership and the school autonomy had a statistically significant effect on students’ reading performance and these are the predictors of students reading performance in Korea, Mexico and Turkey.

Keywords: PISA, principal leadership, school autonomy, student performance, quality of education

DOI : 10.16986/HUJE.2016019330 [HTML]

This study was conducted with four participants at high risk for autism, who consulted a psychiatrist independent of the study, due to their families realizing development abnormalities. This study presents 4 month-, 6 month-, 3 month-, and 10 month-results of the four participants of the play-based home support educational program for respectively. Semi-experimental research methods with a single group pretest-posttest model were used in this study. It was observed that the application of a play-based home support and child-centered educational programs to 4 children of different ages demonstrated strong symptoms of autism resulted in improvements in all sub-scales of ADSI(AGTE), with greater developments specifically in the linguistic-cognitive scale. Results of the ABC, despite the fact that the educational program was administered to each child for different lengths of time; a decline was observed in autism symptoms in all sub-areas.

Keywords: Play-based education, home support, special education

DOI : 10.16986/HUJE.2017027673 [HTML]

The aim of this study is to reveal whether or not the variables of interest in mathematics, self-efficacy and work ethics have any effect on mathematics literacy of the students who took the PISA 2012 using structural equation modeling (SEM). The principal components factor analysis resulted three factors. In regard to student interest in mathematics was found to have eight, mathematics self-efficacy was found to have eight and work ethics was found nine variables to be related to this construct. Of these variables three were latent and twenty-five were observable. The consistency of the model was analysed and it was found that that model could be used for the whole data set. It was found to be the most significant variable on student literacy is “mathematics self-efficacy”, which also predicts it. The other two variables, namely “student interest in mathematics” and “study ethics”, are found to be have less effect on student literacy. In addition, these two variables are found to less predict it. In the study R2 coefficient was found to be 0.34. It means that students’ math achievement is accounted by the variables of student interest, self-efficacy and study ethics at the level of 34%. The data obtained showed that the model designed was confirmed.

Keywords: PISA 2012, mathematical literacy, self-efficacy, interest, work ethics.

DOI : 10.16986/HUJE.2016023162 [HTML]

This study was conducted in order to examine the mother attitudes of preschool children who have or who do not have compliance problems according to the views of teachers. The study group was composed of 352 children and their mothers. Children were selected from preschool institutions located in Cankaya district of Ankara province. The data of the study were collected by using Demographic Data Collection Form, Form Determining Compliance Issues and Attitudes of Parents. Student-t test and ANOVA were used to analyze the data. Totally 128 children had a compliance problem and 224 children did not have any compliance problems according to the views of their teachers. The most common compliance problems were stubbornness, being introverted and aggression. It was determined according to views of the teachers that the authoritarian attitude scores of male children who had compliance problems were higher compared to the scores of female children. Furthermore, it was also found that mothers of 5-6 year-old children had higher authoritarian and democratic attitude scores compared to the mothers of 3-4 year-old children. According to the views of teachers, there was no significant relationship between the number of siblings and the mother attitudes of children who had compliance problems and who did not have compliance problems. It was detected that the educational status of the mothers and fathers had effects on authoritarian, overprotective, and permissive parenting attitudes. These findings are discussed and some suggestions were made.

Keywords: Preschool, compliance issues, parental attitude.

DOI : 10.16986/HUJE.2017024988 [HTML]

Mathematics, which is a universal language, is used by individuals with different native languages by supporting their native languages. Two kinds of uses, formal and informal, of mathematical language arise since the mathematical statements or sentences can be expressed in a native language by defining the meaning of symbols in that native language without the use of symbols. Translation from a certain native language to the language of mathematics can be regard both as transforming sentences from native language to mathematics and in more general as transforming real-life events to mathematical models. The aim of this study is to investigate transfer skills of middle school pre-service mathematics teachers from two different countries, one from the USA and one from Turkey from informal to formal mathematical language. In this qualitatively designed study, data were obtained through a written questionnaire and clinical interviews. Research results show that participants from Turkey had difficulties in terms of constructing quantities apart from the difficulties of not recognizing the functional relationship in word problems. On the other hand, the participants from USA had difficulties with transferring of informal sentences and statements to formal mathematical language.

Keywords: Mathematical Language, Pre-service Mathematics Teachers, Mathematizing

DOI : 10.16986/HUJE.2016023349 [HTML]

Evidence-based practices provides positive progress provides improvement in the skills for a large number of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Many of evidence-based practices are based on applied behavior analysis (ABA). Educators’ having professional competencies in the field of ABA is an important factor to attain positive results from the trainings that employ ABA-based methods. The analysis of educators’ experiences concerning ABA particularly through qualitative studies can reveal the current situation of these educators regarding ABA. In this way, relevant precautions can be taken for educators based on their needs and competencies in the field of ABA. This study examined the ABA experiences of educators that offer ABA-based education to individuals with ASD from a qualitative research perspective. Phenomenological design was used, and the data were collected from 10 educators via metaphors. The results of the descriptive analysis indicate that the participants expressed ABA via various metaphors that can be described under the categories of “ABA objectives” and “ABA characteristics”. The participants’ perceptions of ABA were consistent with the literature highlighting “ABA objectives and characteristics”. The results were discussed based on the related literature, and recommendations were made for practices and future studies.

Keywords: Applied behavior analysis, autism spectrum disorders, educator, metaphor, qualitative research

DOI : 10.16986/HUJE.2017027228 [HTML]