Icoz, Kutay; Sanalan, Vehbi A.; Cakar, Mehmet Akif; Ozdemir, Esra Benli; Kaya, Sukru

Ontologies have often been recommended for E-learning systems, but few efforts have successfully incorporated student data to represent knowledge conceptualizations. Defining key concepts and their relations between each other establishes the backbone of our E-learning system. The system guides an individual student through his/her course by evaluating their progress and suggesting instructional material to review based upon their answers. Three main tasks are performed within this framework: building ontologies for the course, measuring a student’s understanding level for the concepts, and making personal suggestions to create an individualized learning environment. This paper presents: the integration of ontologies, assisted with student data, together with an intelligent Recommendation Module for the development of an E-learning system; the comparison and correction adaption of ontology from students’ mind maps; and the assessment of students’ actual weaknesses in comparison to what Recommendation Module suggests. The sample of 127 students, five classrooms, was conveniently selected among seventh grade students of a demographically average school in a major city in Turkey. The students’ achievement was assessed and the scores for different questions were investigated for associations with concepts made in the students’ minds. The results provided significant correlations among scores, and a fit model for the concepts represented by questions. The student suggested model slightly differed from the ontology map from the experts. Based on the data-supported model, the Recommendation Module more accurately determined the students’ learning deficiencies and suggested concepts to be reviewed.

Tasci, Guntay

This study aims to analyze the process under which biology lessons are taught in terms of teaching quality criteria (TQC). Teaching quality is defined as the properties of efficient teaching and is considered to be the criteria used to measure teaching quality both in general and specific to a field. The data were collected through classroom observations in this study, whose research was collected using a qualitative method. The research contained 21 classroom observations from 5 different biology teachers in 5 different high schools in Ankara, Turkey. The classes involved differing topics taught in 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grades. The data first underwent the structured content analysis using the MAXqda program. The encoding numbers for the codes in the data were transferred into the MS Excel program and were used to make quantitative analyses. The classrooms observed were grouped in terms of teaching quality criteria using cluster analysis using the SPSS 19 program. Similar groups, on the other hand, were evaluated according to cognitive structuring and teaching quality. As a result, avoiding the use of various methods, using effective teaching materials, and employing strict classroom management in biology teaching with the study group heavily increased the number of concepts communicated whereas problems in classroom management and classroom atmosphere reduced the concepts, thus influencing cognitive structure in a negative way. Finally, asking deepening questions and evaluative feedback affected cognitive structure in a positive way.

Unlua, Ihsan

This study contains teacher candidates’ opinions who spent a portion of their educational career abroad as participants in the Erasmus Program regarding the academic, cultural, and personal gains of the program. Using the Quantitative Research Method, this study focuses on phenomena that researchers are aware of, but on which they do not have detailed information. As such, it has been designed as a phenomenological study. The work group of the study consists of students from Erzincan University’s Faculty of Education who participated in the Erasmus Program during the 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 academic years. As the data collection tool, a semi-structured interview form prepared by the researcher was used. The data collected for the study were analyzed using the Content Analysis Method. Upon the analysis of the data, it was concluded that the teacher candidates who participated in the Erasmus Program obtained different academic, cultural, and personal gains. It may be suggested that these acquisitions will be beneficial for the teacher candidates both in their professional and daily lives. When the aims of the Erasmus Program are considered, it is observed that the expected effects of the program (for the participants in this study) have been achieved. More detailed studies may be conducted in the future to reveal the Erasmus Program level of success in terms of participants’ changes experienced and observed in issues related to academic, cultural and personal improvement.

Sagirli, Meryem Ozturan; Akar, M. Sadi; Kaşkaya, Alper; Ünlü, Ihsan

Bu çalışmanın amacını, okul ve öğretmen içerikli sinema filmlerinin öğretmen adaylarının mesleğe yönelik tutumları ve öz yeterlik algıları üzerindeki etkisinin incelenmesi oluşturmaktadır. Araştırma sürecinde nicel ve nitel yaklaşımların birlikte ele alındığı karma yöntem benimsenmiştir. Araştırmada karma yöntem tasarımlarından açıklayıcı tasarım modeli kullanılmıştır. Araştırma eğitim fakültesi ilköğretim bölümü 2. sınıf öğrencileriyle yürütülmüştür. Araştırmaya İlköğretim Bölümü; Sınıf Öğretmenliği, Matematik Öğretmenliği, Sosyal Bilgiler Öğretmenliği ve Fen Bilgisi Öğretmenliği Anabilim Dallarından toplam 102 öğrenci katılmıştır. Veri toplama aracı olarak, Çetin tarafından geliştirilen “Öğretmenlik Mesleği Tutum Ölçeği” ve araştırmacılar tarafından hazırlanan, geçerlik ve güvenirlik çalışmaları yapılmış öz yeterlik ölçeği kullanılmıştır. Nitel veri toplama aracı olarak, araştırmacılar tarafından hazırlanan yarı yapılandırılmış görüşme formu ve araştırmaya katılan öğrencilerin çalışma sonunda yazdıkları mektuplar kullanılmıştır. Araştırmada 6 hafta boyunca 6 farklı film gösterimi ve filmlerle ilgili tartışmalar gerçekleştirilmiştir. Uygulama sonunda öğrencilerle görüşmeler yapılmış mektup uygulaması gerçekleştirilmiştir. Elde edilen verilerin analizi sonucunda, eğitsel içerikli sinema filmlerinin öğrencilerin mesleğe yönelik tutumlarında ve öz yeterlik algılarında istendik yönde anlamlı bir farklılık oluşturduğu görülmüştür. Mesleğe yönelik tutumlarda öğrencilerde “sevgi, değer, uyum” boyutlarında gelişim gözlenmiştir. Ayrıca öğrencilerin öz yeterlik algılarında da olumlu yönde gelişim gözlenmiştir. Konuyla ilgili yapılması planlanan çalışmalar eğitsel sinema filmlerinin öğretmen yetiştirme programlarında kullanılabilirliği açısından önemlidir.

Kaskaya, Alper; Ünlü, Ihsan; Akar, M. Said; Sagirli, Meryem Ozturan

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of school and teacher themed movies on pre-service teachers' attitudes towards their profession and their perceived self-efficacy. As qualitative and quantitative research approaches were employed during data collection procedure, mixed methodology was adopted in this study. In the study, one of the mixed research designs, explanatory design model was used. The study was conducted with 102 second grade students who were enrolled to education faculty's primary education departments such as Primary, Mathematics, Social Sciences and Science Teacher Training Divisions. As quantitative data collection instruments, Teacher Profession Attitude Scale developed by cetin and self-efficacy scale developed and its validity and reliability study conducted by the researchers were used in data collection process. In qualitative data collection procedure, semi-structured interview form prepared by the researchers and the letters written by the students after the study were used. In the study, a six-week different movie presentation activity and discussions about the movies were conducted. At the end of the activity, interviews were carried on and letter application was performed. Obtained data analysis revealed that educational movies affected meaningfully students' attitudes towards teacher profession and their perceived self-efficacy in a positive side. In the attitudes towards the profession, it was seen that students progressed in love, value, and adaptation dimensions. In addition, positive advances were seen in students' perceived self-efficacy beliefs. Studies aimed to be conducted on this issue are significant for the use of educational movies in teacher training institutions.

Sagirli, Meryem Ozturan

The aim of this research is to discover and compare the effects of writing prompt and expository writing from an educational perspective in the light of student opinions. The study was conducted according to qualitative research approach and content analysis was conducted. Two activities which were prepared with respect to objectives of writing prompt and expository writing were applied to the research group consisting of 81 university students for ten weeks. As data collection technique, semi-structured interview technique was used. At the end of this process, 44 students who participated in research were interviewed for 15-20 minutes in accordance with semi-structured interview questions. Recorded data were transferred to computer through transcription and analyzed by Nvivo program. Results showed that the effects of writing prompt and expository writing on students are, to a large extent, similar. Students that performed writing activities claimed that with respect to cognitive domain, they understood concepts better because of writing activities, they could detect unknown points, and what they learned was more permanent; with respect to emotional domain, their interests towards lectures increased, they were more careful, they had higher motivation, and since they were able to study regularly, they could prepare exams better and thus their anxiety towards them decreased. One of the most important results of the study is that students think that writing activities contribute the attitudes and behaviors about teaching professions and by these activities, their abilities to express ideas and their language use skills improved.