The research reported in this study was designed to answer two questions:a) Do the students learn the chem:ica! concep~ wel!i? b} How is l~caı thinking ability related to the students understanding of the chemical concepts? Eight chemistry concepts were used in the study: element, compound, mixture, pure substance, homogeneous mixture, heterogeneous mixture, chemical change, physical change. Problems conceming the eight concepts were given to 97 ninth grade students in order to assess the students' degree of understanding of chemistry concepts. In addition to this, logical thinking ability test was given to students. According to the results, during the trainning period the students haven't leamed these concepts well enough and they have had misconceptions about these. It is thought that the heavy curriculum and the students memorizing created that result. Also this study indicated that logical thinking ability made a significant contribution to the understandingof chemistry concepts.

Keywords: Chemical concept. misconception
[HTML]

This study aims to introducea new pathto prepare an ESP Reading Curriculum for the Preparatory Classes of English-medium Engineering Faculties in Turkey. To provide this, in 1996-1997 academicyear, firstly, ESP reading programmesof some English-medium universities such as Middle East Technical Universityand Istanbul Technical University were examined and then an experimental research was held at Gazi University Preparatory Classes of Engineering and Architecture Facu1ty, and the results were iııustratedvia some statistical tables andfigures. For the research, two equal experimental groups of preparatory class students and a group of freshman studentswere selected at random.To begin with, as weıı as the freshman students, the subjects of the experimental groups were given a pre-test the questions of which were formed as a result of item analyses. Next, the proposed programmewas implemented and comsequently, the same test was administeredas the post-testof the study. Finally, he results of the tests for the experimentalgroups and the freshman students were compared by means of a Scheffe Test.

Keywords: ESP reading curriculum, reading activities, english preparatory class training, engineering faculties
[HTML]

The purpose of this research is to investigate students' understandingof angle concept in geometry according to their errors, misconceptions and gender. The sample includes one IOth grade class and one i Ith grade class selected from a private college in Ankara in 1997- 1998 academic year. Data were collected through a test including 11 open-ended questions. In this studyonly 5 of the 11 questionswere taken into consideration. The findings have shown that male students were more radical compared to female students in approaching to the questions. That is, majority of male students either solved the questions correct1yor 1eft untouched.In addition, female students were more successful compared to male students and there was an increase in achievement level of the students due to educational level. The reasons of the errors, without taking into account gender differences, can be summarized as follows: (i) students, by looking at the given figures, assume something is given; (ii) students focus on the figure itself rather than its properties; (iii) students do not know the meaning of a triangle and the properties of its exterior and interior angles.

Keywords: Geometry, error analysis, misconceptions, gender differences.
[HTML]

In the present study, some values of Turkish university students from varying degrees of religiosity were examined. The samp1e of the study included totally 1218 university students (666 female, 552 male), in 1996. All students were unmarried. A questionnaire developed by the researcher was utilized in this study. The data were analyzed by Chi-Square (X2) test. According to the findings, 85% of the students believe in religion. Female subjects were more religious. Also 85% of the students against sexual discrimination. Most of the students who admit to sexual discrimination were in religious groups. Sexual intercourse before marriage was seen anatural phenomenon among half of the students. Forty-one percent of the students belonging to nonreligious groups have engaged in sexual intercourse. Many students who had sexual intercourseat an earlyage were religious. The students were always concemed about national and world problems, and were anxious about the futureof Turkey. Religious studentswere found to be more optimistic about the future of Turkey than nonreligious ones. The findings are discussed in the light of related literature,and some suggestionsare made.

Keywords: Turkish university students. values, religiosity.
[HTML]

In this research, the factors affecting the students' attitudes toward physics were investigated. In order to find the effects of six independent variables namely socioeconomicstatus,prioracmevement,cumulative GPA, future occupation, locus of control and achievement in mathon students'attitudestowardphysicswere examined. Three scales; Physics Attitude Scale, Socioecononllc Status Scale and Locus of Control Scale were developed and administered to 317 high school students. Multiple Regression and Correlation Analysis (MRC) was used to analyze the data obtained from the scales. This research showed that the combined effect of these six independent variableson students' attitudestowardphysics is significanl. The unique effects of future occupation, locus of control, achievement in math and prior achievement were significantfactorswhile the uniqueeffects of socioeconomic statusand cumulative GPA were nol.

Keywords: Attitudes toward physics, socioeconomic status. prior achievement. cumulative GPA, locus of control. and future occupation.
[HTML]

Much of the discussion and research about "equality of educational opportunity" has concentrated on the differences associated with class, socioeconomic status, region and race. Somewhat less attentionhas been paid to research on gender differences in science than in mathematics. Several years after the initial intervention programs in math,researchers began to examine the disparities in the science achievement of girls and boys. The low percentage of women in science- and mathematicsrelated professions has led to widespread researchaimed at understanding this phenomenon and introducing more women into scientific andtechnologicalfields. Althoughthe issues of why women do not select science as a careerorthe issues of why boys perform better than girls are complex andvery controversial,the purposeof this paperis to examine the factors underlying the differential participationand achievement of boys and girls in school science; then discuss theways to eliminategenderbias in theclassroom

Keywords: Science education, gender, science achievement, international studie
[HTML]

Today, there exists 528.408 teachers in 75.889 educational institution in total in Turkey. it has now been obligatory to provide continuousin-service training for the teachers who are responsibIefor implementing the currlculum, using the related technology, organizing the instructional media and devoloping interactive relations with the students. Teachers can be supplied with inservice training through distance learning facilities all through their professional life. New technologies such as interactive video, teleconference, internet are such device to help teachers to create direct interactionmedium between the teacher and the Ieamer who are far away from each other. However, to operate devices of new technologies expertiseis required and it is never cost-effective. Morover, it is still a situation thatrequires solution in Turkey to establish the necessary infrustructurefor such applications. In this study, it is suggested that, "Video-Based Inservice Teacher Training Model" which is cheaper and yet notless effective than the other model be utilized

Keywords: Distance learning, video-based in-service teacher training, in-service teacher training through video
[HTML]

This study is a review of the events and developments, at the internationalIevel, thatlead to the establishment of the framework for environmental education. The starting pointof the review is the 1972 Stockholm Conference, the final point being the 1997 Thessaloniki Conference. The 1977 Tbilisi Conference that created a landmark beginning for internationalenvironmentaleducation is covered in depth with regard to its findings, conclusions, recommendationsand final declaration. Also included in the study is a comparison of the goals, guiding) principles, curriculum and syHabus of environmental education in the Secondary Level Turkish Education with those proposed by a team of environmenta! educators working under the auspices of UNESCOIEEP.

Keywords: Environmental education, secondary education, curriculum
[HTML]

Cooperative learning is a teaching method into which a lot of research has been carriedout and which has been proved to have a positive effect on cognitive and affective outcomes. The aim of this artide is to show the differences between cooperative learning and tradiational learning groups in terms of the role of the teacher and the student, planning the learning activities, implementation and evaluation processes and to explain the characteristics of cooperative and traditionallearning groups.

Keywords: Cooperative leaming groups, traditional leaming groups.
[HTML]