Educational Policy Analysis and Strategic Research (EPASR - E-Journal)
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Effects of Parenting Style on Students%252339%253B Achievement Goal Orientation%253A A Study on High School Students
No full textThis study intends to determine the effects of parenting styles, as perceived by parents, on high school students achievement goal orientations. The study was conducted on 497 students and their parents selected via simple cluster sampling from public high schools of the Ministry of Education in Amasya, a city in Turkey. Data were collected by means of a personal information form prepared by the researcher, the Parents Attitude Scale (PAS) and the 2x2 Achievement Goal Orientation Scale. Data analysis includes multiple regression analysis, as well as descriptive statistics. Based on research findings, parenting styles perceived by parents can be listed as democratic, overprotective, permissive and authoritarian. Students achievement goal orientation follows the order of learning-approach, learning-avoidance, performance-approach and performance-avoidance. Another finding obtained in the study shows a positive and medium level relationship between parenting style and learning approach orientation and a positive and low level relationship between parenting style and learning avoidance orientation. Democratic and overprotective parenting styles were found to have the strongest and most significant impact on learning approach orientation whereas overprotective and permissive parenting styles had the most significant impact on learning avoidance orientation. Parenting style was found to have a low level positive relationship with performance approach and performance avoidance orientation. Analyses show that authoritarian and overprotective parenting styles had the most significant impact on both orientations
Evaluation of Pre-Service Teachers%20 Perceptions For Teaching Practice Course
Get PDFPre-service teachers gain experience, positive and negative attitudes towards teaching-learning process, school administration, teacher, student and even school in teaching practice course in pre-service teacher training programs. The purpose of this research was to identify pre-service teachers%252339%253B perceptions of teaching practice course. Case study research design was used in this qualitative research method. The study group of the research comprised of 42 pre-service teachers who took teaching training course in 2014-2015 academic year. The purposeful sampling method was used to determine the study group. The data was derived from the semi-structured interview form. Content analysis was employed to analyze the data. The themes were generated as a result of the analysis. The results of the research indicate that pre-service teachers gain experience in teaching profession and be self-confident, learn to be patient and use materials and acquire the importance of communication. On the other hand, they notice some negative cases such as teachers%252339%253B failures in classroom management, lack of materials, school administrations%252339%253B negative attitudes and behaviors and teachers%252339%253B being passive in discipline matters. To overcome these negative cases, suggestions were put forward
Academics%20 Views on the Characteristics of Academic Writing
Get PDFAcademic writing is the process of sharing original research with other scholars in accordance with certain standard rules. This process requires correctly following the steps of scientific academic writing. However, a close analysis of recent academic texts reveals a wide range of mistakes or shortcomings. The purpose of this research is to examine the characteristics of academic writing based on the views of the academicians creating it. A semi-structured interview form was created on Google Docs virtual office for this research using qualitative research methodology. Thus, 30 academicians from different cities and universities of Turkey were involved. Content analysis was used to assess the collected data. Each answer given by the academicians was placed into a category such as similarity and relatedness. These categories were transformed into tables by frequency values of the answers, and each table was supported with quotations extracted from the answers. The results show that the academicians presented the highest number of comments about the characteristics related to sections containing methodology and results, discussions and suggestions. The participants also reported that in their article reviewing process, they encounter the highest number of errors in the methodology section, followed by errors in formal standards, spelling-punctuation %252F expression and academic style
Project Funds As a Management Model and Alignment of EU Funded Special Education Projects with National Policies in Turkey
Get PDFThis study seeks to assess the extent to which EU-funded projects administered by schools and other institutions are aligned with the strategic priorities adopted by Turkeys Ministry of National Education (MoNE). With this objective in mind, the thematic distributions of projects in the field of special needs education were examined and the policy priorities stated in documents composed by MoNE were comparatively evaluated. The study followed a qualitative research model by conducting document analysis to inspect a total of 158 Erasmus%2B projects funded by the EU between 2012 and 2017. The projects were analyzed according to their numerical and financial distributions by year, geographical region, institution type, and disabled groups within the target population. Furthermore, content analysis was applied to examine projects thematic distributions. The study concluded that project funds are disproportionately distributed to institution types, target groups, and geographical regions and that projects strategic alignment with Ministry policies needs to be strengthened, especially in terms of how project funds are used. Finally, it is recommended that the distribution and use of international funds be structured in line with the policy priorities adopted by the Turkish National Education System and that cooperation between policy makers and executers not only in the allocation of funds but also in their administrative, financial, and legal management processes be strengthened
Pre-service Science Teachers’ Decisions and Types of Informal Reasoning about the Socioscientific Issue of Nuclear Power Plants
Get PDFThe establishment and use of nuclear power plants to meet the energy need is a controversial socioscientific issue in all the countries of the world%253B as in Turkey. In this regard, the current study intended to investigate the effect of the socioscientific issue-based instructional activities related to the Nuclear Energy Plants (NEP) that have been attempted to be made widespread in our country on the pre-service science teachers decisions, positions and types of informal reasoning they use while making their decisions. The current study employed one of the mixed methods%253B the data transformative design model. At the end of the study, it was determined that the pre-service teachers had decided that the establishment of nuclear plants should not continue and that the instructional activities led them to change their positions. Moreover, it was found that while making their decisions, before the application, they were mostly engaged in the ecology-based informal reasoning%253B after the application, they mostly utilized the social type of informal reasoning. Thus, it was concluded that the pre-service science teachers engagement in activities related to the sociosicentific issue of nuclear energy plants increased their types of reasoning they resorted to and contributed to their sophistication in reasoning. The more types of informal reasoning are used by individuals while making their decisions, the more conscious and reasonable decisions they can make. In this regard, it can be argued that the socioscientific issue-based instructional activities brought social dimensions related to the establishment of nuclear power plants to the fore in the decisions of the pre-service science teachers. Moreover, the opinions of the pre-service science teachers who will take an important role in giving direction to the future of the society about this issue should be taken into consideration by different social associations such as administrators, politicians, non-governmental organizations and particularly by teacher training programs
Investigation of School Readiness and Academic Development of Elementary Students Firstly Enrolled at School with %204%2B4%2B4 Education Regulation%20 in Turkey
No full textSetting the age for starting elementary students at 60 months old has been a hotly debated topic in Turkey since the Grand National Assembly passed an education reform bill as Law No. 6287, known to the public as the 4%2B4%2B4 regulation. At the outset of its implementation, students who started first grade in school year 2012ndash%253B2013 had an age distribution in the range of 60 to 84 months. The present research aimed to determine the effect of this age difference among students in the same grade level on their subsequent development. Thus, the study is a longitudinal and causal comparative research since comparison of the two age groups on both readiness for the school and the academic development throughout the four assessments within six months intervals was investigated. The results indicated that students younger than 69 months are disadvantaged against their older peers in all the specified fields and subfields during all the periods studied
Self Regulated Learning Questionnaire%253A Reliability and Validity Study
No full textThe research was carried out to develop a measurement tool for measuring self-regulated learning skills of secondary school students. For this purpose, the validity and reliability study of the Self-Regulation Learning Questionnaire was conducted on 688 students who studied in different classes in the middle school (fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth grade) and selected by random sampling method. As a result of the exploratory factor analysis conducted to ensure the construct validity of the scale, a five-factor structure consisting of 39 items was obtained. These factors are 1. Studying Method, 2. Self Evaluation, 3. Receiving Support, 4. Time Management and Planning, 5. Seeking Information. The Cronbacheris Alpha value of the scale was .94. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), which was conducted to test whether the five-factor structure of the scale was consistent with the previously defined factor structure, supports the structure obtained. These results show that the Self-Regulated Learning Questionnaire is an appropriate tool for the measurement of self regulated learning skills of secondary school students
Applicability of Web Based Distance Education to Instrument (Guitar) Education
Get PDFIn this research, it is aimed to present the applicability of Web Based Distance Education (WBDE) method in instrument (guitar) education for Fine Arts High Schools. In accordance with this purpose, a web-based experimental study is developed within the scope of synchronous and asynchronous models for guitar education. The research is carried out in two different study groups in the 2017-2018 academic year at Aydın Doğan Fine Arts High School in Turkey. In order to evaluate web-based instrument education, the first study group is formed with 8 students in the 11th and 12th grade who have taken guitar education, and the second study group is formed with two students who have never studied guitar in order to evaluate the initial guitar education.
In the research using mixed method, pretest-posttest matched control group random experimental pattern method is applied within the scope of quantitative method, interview and observation techniques are applied within the scope of qualitative method. Guitar performance grading scale (GPGS), initial guitar education basic behavior evaluation form, individual instrument course attitude scale, guitar course achievement test (GCAT), structured course observation form and interview form are used as data collection tools for the research.
In the research, the pre-test and posttests used for collecting quantitative data are analyzed and interpreted by the Mann-Whitney U which is test the nonparametric counterpart of the significance test of the difference between the two independent groups means in the statistical analysis method and by the Wilcoxon test, which is the nonparametric counterpart of the significance test of the difference between the two dependent groups means. The opinions of the students about the experimental study are analyzed within the scope of descriptive analysis method and the themes and codes which are determined as a result of the analysis are interpreted.The data obtained by the observation technique are analyzed and interpreted by using a structured course observation form.
According to the results obtained from the research, it is concluded that the instrument (guitar) education program of Fine Arts High School could be applied by WBDE method and this method could be used as an alternative to traditional instrument education
Finding Clarity in Teaching%253A One Teacher’s Struggle
No full textTeaching and learning are interdependent terms, and the work of the teacher is to ensure that students learn. Teachers need to be clear on what they mean by learning. Learning is often judged by what students accumulate in content or is based on a students mastery of content as revealed by grades. However, for the author, there is more to learningmdash%253Bspecifically, the behaviors of the learner. The author proposes a Rubric for Learning Behavior to augment the concept of learning with a concept of the engagement of the learner. In doing so, the author clarified his own struggle to make sense of the relationship between teaching and learning
The Use of Humor by Primary School Administrators and Its Organizational Effect on Schools
Get PDFThe purpose of this study is to determine the aim of primary school administrators use of humor and the organizational effects of their use of humor according to the opinions of the school administrators and teachers. The study was modelled as a multiple holistic case study. The study group consists of 9 administrators and 12 teachers working in the primary schools in the province of Antalya in the year of 2015. For data collection, the researcher developed and used a semi-structured data collection form. The data obtained were subjected to both descriptive analysis and content analysis. As a result, both the administrators and the teachers reported that the constructive use of humor of the primary school administrators was superior to the destructive ones. The results also revealed that the positive effects of the humor used by administrators were higher than the negative effects on school and subordinates