Educational Policy Analysis and Strategic Research (EPASR - E-Journal)
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Cultural Diversity Through the Lenses of Teachers%253A A SWOT Analysis
No full textTürkiye hosts a diversity of numerous cultural groups regarding its location and social structure. The inclusion of these culturally diverse groups in the education system makes it necessary to evaluate teachers%252339%253B perspectives and experiences on differences. The purpose of the study is to examine the strengths and weaknesses of cultural diversity as well as the opportunities and threats that cultural diversity poses to teachers. The research is designed as a qualitative phenomenological study to reveal the perceptions of the participants about the cultural diversity that exists in schools. In this study, teachers were reached by using the snowball sampling method of the purposive sampling approach. 118 teachers who are still teaching in Türkiyes various regions during the 2021-2022 academic year voluntarily filled out the online form. The data obtained were transferred to the MAXQDA package program and similar expressions were gathered under four main themes%253A strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. The main themes were created to consist of the steps of the SWOT analysis. Then, content analysis was applied to the data categorized according to the SWOT analysis steps. According to the findings, the strengths of cultural diversity in the classroom mostly gathered around knowledge construction and supporting creativity. The findings also indicated that teachers%252339%253B views on the weaknesses of cultural diversity mostly gathered around difficulty addressing all differences and lack of communication, and teachers views on the threats against cultural diversity mostly gathered around cultural conflict and cultural insensitivity. Finally, teachers also believe that learning cultural components and gaining new experiences are the most important opportunities for cultural diversity
Factors Affecting General and Online Academic Achievement of University Students%253A Online Self-Regulated Learning, Online Self-Efficacy, and Motivation Scores
Full text linkThis study aims to determine whether university students%252339%253B levels of online self-regulated learning, online technologies self-efficacy, and motivated strategies for learning predict their general academic achievement and online academic achievement. In this study, the scanning design and the prediction research design were used. The participants of this research consisted of 55 undergraduate students studying in different departments of a university in Western Canada. The data were collected with Online Technologies Self-Efficacy Scale (OTSES) developed by Barnard et al., (2009)%253B Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) developed by Pintrich et al., (1991)%253B Online Self-regulated Learning Questionnaire (OSLQ) developed by Miltiadou and Yu (2000)%253B and demographic form. This study did not determine a significant relationship between university students%252339%253B total scores of OSLQ, OTSES, MSLQ, and their GPAs. Instead, the study found that university students%252339%253B total scores of OSLQ, OTSES, MSLQ did not significantly predict their GPAs and online GPAs
Improving the Science Process Skills and Science Literacy of Primary School Pre-service Teachers with Different Parental Education Levels
Full text linkThis research was undertaken to improve the science process skills (SPS) and science literacy (SL) of primary school pre-service teachers with different family backgrounds in terms of parental education. It was planned with a quasi-experimental design with pretests and posttests in the framework of quantitative research methodology. Eighty-four first-year students from the primary school education departments of two different public universities participated in this 14-week-long study conducted in the spring semester of 2021-2022. Classes were taught with a focus on SPS for the experimental groups and within the scope of a textbook developed for basic science education in primary school for the control groups. Data were collected by administering the SPS Test and SL Test. In the analysis of the data, descriptive statistics, ANOVA, and MANOVA were used. The results showed that SPS-focused education processes significantly increased the SPS and SL of the pre-service teachers. Furthermore, prior to the implementation, participants in both experimental and control groups whose parents were had bachelor degree or high school diploma ranked higher in terms of SPS and SL. While the gap in SPS arising from parental education level was closed in the experimental groups as a result of the implementation, the advantage of having a bachelor degree parent continued for SL. These results are discussed in the context of primary school pre-service teachers regarding parental education levels, SPS, and SL
Teacher Performance Evaluation System in a Private School%253A A Case Study
No full textThe purpose of this research was to reveal how the performance evaluations of teachers in a private school were made and the results of those evaluations. The research was designed as a case study, which is one of the qualitative research methods. The research was carried out in the 2013-2014 academic year. The participants of this research were 15 teachers, 3 administrators, 6 students and 4 parents. The data were obtained through semi-structured interviews. Findings revealed that the performance evaluation of the teachers were based on the surveys from students, school administrators and parents, general observations made by school administrators, course inspections and follow-up with digital cameras. In this context, teachers were awarded during the year and at the end of the year depending on their performance evaluation results. Participants also mentioned some positive and negative consequences of the performance evaluation in the school. The rewards given vary based on the performance of the teachers. The main rewards were as follows%253A salary increase, plaques and certificates with symbolic value, and contract renewal. On the other hand, teachers were punished due to their low performance. The consequences of the punishment were as follows%253A verbal or written warning penalties, low pay raise in salary, termination of some duties at the school and non-renewal of contract%252Fdismissal
Middle School Students%252339%253B Views on Distance Education%253A Turkish Language Teaching under the Shadow of COVID-19 Pandemic
No full textIn this study, it was aimed to determine the strengths, deficiencies, and weaknesses of distance education process of learning-teaching activities in Turkish lesson by asking the opinions of students who are the subject of the learning process. In the study, the basic qualitative research design was preferred considering the nature of the research subject. The study group of the research consists of twenty-eight 7th grade students who continue their education activities in Eskişehir in the 2020-2021 academic year. The online interviews were conducted with the teachers through a semi-structured interview form prepared by the researchers. The data were analyzed by content analysis using the MAXQDA program. The students stated that distance education is more functional than face-to-face education in vocabulary activities of listening and comprehension skills. In speaking and writing skills, students mostly preferred distance education. The students explained the strengths and weaknesses of the two educational environments compared to each other in terms of all skills, with their justifications. In the study, students were also asked to write the five most useful features of both educational environments. Thus, the strengths of both learning environments in terms of Turkish lessons were revealed. Based on the data obtained, it has been determined that distance education cannot create an alternative to face-to-face education in terms of social interaction, teacher-student interaction, group studies at the desired level, but distance education is clearly preferred by students as it offers many opportunities that face-to-face education does not offer. For this reason, based on the prominent skills and activities of distance education, it can be said that it will be more beneficial to continue Turkish lessons by adopting a mixed (hybrid) model in the future
Bilingual English Teachers Perspectives on English-only Policies in an EFL Setting
Full text linkVarious language policies are implemented for foreign language teaching in educational institutions. One of these language policies is the monolingual approach called quot%253BEnglish-onlyquot%253B, which requires only the target language to be used in the classroom. This policy is largely implemented in private institutions in Turkey. Studies about teachers perspectives on the English-only policy are relatively less. Hence, this research aimed to explore what the perspectives of bilingual EFL teachers working in schools where the English only policy is implemented are and what the effects of such practices are on their teaching methods and professional identities. A case study research design under a qualitative approach was adopted to explore eight bilingual EFL teachers perspectives on language policies implemented in kindergarten and primary school of the private education institution where they worked. The results varied according to the professional background of the teachers and the department they worked. While language teachers who worked in kindergarten favoured the policy despite reacting negatively to the strict policies implemented by the school, primary school language teachers showed explicit resistance to the implementation of the English-only policy. Moreover, all the teachers expressed their uneasiness about being assigned fake English names and associated this with the impact of neoliberalism and other ideologies prevailing in the linguistic market on private institutions in Turkey
An Investigation of the Relationship Between Digital Literacy Levels of Social Studies Teacher Candidates and Their Attitudes Towards Distance Education
Full text linkThe relationship between the digital literacy levels of Social Studies teacher candidates and their attitudes towards distance education was investigated in this study. In addition, attitudes of teacher candidates towards distance education and their digital literacy levels were compared in terms of gender, year of education and income variables. The sample of this study, in which the general screening model was used, consisted of 260 social studies teacher candidates studying at state universities in the Central Anatolia Region of Turkey in the 2020-2021 academic year. Digital Literacy Scale developed by Bayrakçı (2020) and Distance Education Attitude Scale developed by Ağır (2007) were used in the data collection process. Kolmogorov-Smirnov normality test was run for data normality and after data normality was provided, regression and Pearson correlation analyzes, independent sample t-test, one-way ANOVA test and Post Hoc analysis were performed. The findings of the current study showed that the digital literacy levels of teacher candidates did not differ significantly depending on gender and grade levels, but the digital literacy levels of male teacher candidates were higher. It was observed that the attitudes of teacher candidates towards distance education significantly differed based on gender and year of education. It was determined that teacher candidates with high-income had a more positive attitude towards distance education and had higher levels of digital literacy compared to teacher candidates with low- and middle-income levels. The findings of the present study also showed that there was a positive and moderately significant relationship between digital literacy levels of teacher candidates and their attitudes towards distance education, and it was concluded that digital literacy levels of teacher candidates significantly predicted their attitude scores toward distance education
Re-thinking Multigrade Classrooms as an Alternative Educational Environment
Full text linkThe same content and learning environments offered to students from different cultural backgrounds in schools, as well as the lack of diversity, fail to address different learning needs, isolate learners from the society. For this reason, there has always been a search for alternative education models. Mixed age groups are taught together in multigrade classes, which is a primary school practice in Turkey that arises from necessity. Thus, the positive effects of this practice can be benefited from considering the multigrade class practice as an alternative education environment for teachers. This study aims to present suggestions to the educators to help them carry out their multigrade classroom activities more effectively and to draw attention to the advantages of the multigrade classroom practices. 14 pre-service teachers took part in the study as participants. The data were obtained through semi-structured interviews held in 2020-2021 academic year. The results of this study emerged in two different categories as physical arrangements and practice-based arrangements. The participants presented suggestions both for the inside and outside the classroom, and for the decoration and materials and instructional process, the institutional functioning of the school, and the type of communication in the classroom
An Analysis of the Relationship between Pre-Service Secondary Mathematics Teachers%252339%253B Epistemological Beliefs towards Learning, their Educational Beliefs, and Critical Thinking Dispositions
No full textThis study attempts to identify the pre-service secondary mathematics teachers epistemological beliefs towards learning, their educational beliefs, and critical thinking dispositions as well as the relationship between them. A relational survey model was employed and the study group consisted of 152 pre-service teachers. The study used Epistemological Beliefs Scale towards Learning (EBStL), The Educational Philosophy Tendencies Scale (EPTS), and Marmara Critical Thinking Dispositions Scale (MCTDS) as data collection tools. The results suggested that pre-service secondary mathematics teachers epistemological beliefs and critical thinking dispositions were above the average value. Moreover, they were found to have progressive and reconstructivist tendencies. The results also revealed that the pre-service secondary mathematics teachers epistemological beliefs towards learning did not differ across their gender, academic achievement, parents educational level while significantly differed in terms of their grade level. The pre-service secondary mathematics teachers educational beliefs significantly varied across their gender, grade level while that was not the case for their academic achievement and parents educational level. Besides, the results confirmed positive and significant relationships between the pre-service teachers epistemological beliefs towards learning and their critical thinking disposition levels and progressivism, further positive and significant relationships were noted between the critical thinking dispositions and progressivism, reconstructionism and perennialism. Progressivism was found to be explained by epistemological beliefs towards learning and critical thinking dispositions%253B reconstructionism was found to be explained by critical thinking disposition%253B epistemological beliefs towards learning was determined to be explained by progressivism and critical thinking disposition, and critical thinking dispositions were identified to be explained by reconstructionism and perennialis
An Investigation of the Relationship between the Parents Math Literacy Self-Efficacy and Their Math Anxieties
Full text linkMathematics anxiety can be defined as negative feelings towards mathematics and mathematical operations in general. Math anxiety is seen in many students, and even in parents. In fact, parents%252339%253B own anxiety regarding mathematics may lead to their children experiencing angst over the subject as well. This can be a problem considering parents are considered one of the basic components of education and have important responsibilities to guide the education process of their children. Mathematical literacy is one of the research topics that have come into prominence in recent years due to PISA. Consequently, the purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between the parents%252339%253B mathematical literacy self-efficacy and mathematics anxieties. Additionally, through examining the participation of parents in mathematic teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is hoped to better understand their views and methodologies. All participants in this study are parents themselves. The study is designed with an explanatory sequential design among mixed method research designs. The grade in which the students are educated does not make any difference in the self-efficacy and anxiety perceptions of the parents regarding their mathematics literacy. Also, the parents%252339%253B mathematical literacy self-efficacy and anxiety levels were high