Gurses, Ahmet; Gunes, Kubra; Dalga, Tuba; Dogar, Cetin

In Interactive Direct Teaching Based on Constructivist Learning (IDTBCL), learning is evaluated as an oriented change or a mental passing from comprehending to understanding. The mental transition which will be actualized through the teaching activities in lesson practice of this approach includes creating the awareness of students related to the current concepts, creating a broad mental space including multiple conceptual parts, providing the adaptation of the new information to the previous knowledge through constant contextual communication, and harmonization. Misconceptions on Boiling and Evaporation are frequently encountered. In this study, fifty students studying at a state high school in province of Erzurum were chosen as the sample group. Half of the participants were determined as the control group and the rest as the experimental group. The implementation was performed as a quasi-experimental research design practice in the form of a control group pre-test post-test. A conceptual success test was administrated to the groups before the implementations as the pre-test. According to the results of pre-test, no significant difference between the groups was observed in terms of the conceptual success. After the teaching was accomplished by the same teacher in both groups, a significant difference was determined between the groups according to the post-test results and this difference was associated with the teacher's sense of learning. The significant positive change determined in the experimental group can be attributed to the positive attitude of the student towards this approach. (C) 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Gurses, Ahmet; Demiray, Seher; Dogar, Cetin

In the interactive direct teaching based on constructivist learning (IDTBCL) is evaluated as a mental transition or an oriented change from understanding (two dimensions) to conception (three dimensions). This approach focuses on a conceptual structure. Dissolution and the solution are subjects of common misconceptions. Therefore, these concepts have been selected as reference ones for the design practice. In this study, participants are fifty students whose are attending at a high school in Turkey. The halves of participants are selected as experimental group and control group, respectively. Pretest-posttest with control group, which is the one of the quasi-experimental research design, was used for applications. In traditional group (control group), the same instructor used behaviorist approach, and the interactive direct instruction based on constructivist learning (IDTBCL) was done in experimental group during two weeks. Before applications, a conceptual test was administrated to the groups as a pretest. According to pretest results, there was no difference between the groups in terms of conceptual achievement. Although teaching in each group is performed by the same instructor, there is a significantly difference between groups related to the instructor's the mentality about learning. The significant positive difference in the experimental group can be attributed to the students' positive attitude toward to the conceptualization and the creation of three-dimensional mental space of the knowledge e.g. about the concepts dissolution and the solution concepts. Accordingly, it may be said that the model of interactive direct teaching-based constructivist learning (IDTBCL) of education in terms of the practice of teacher-centered active learning or meaningful learning can to be an extremely promising approach. (C) 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Gurses, Ahmet; Dogar, Cetin; Geyik, Esen

The purpose of this research is to investigate the effect of the problem-based learning on students' academic achievement regarding to the concept of enthalpy, which is one of the most important in thermodynamics, and concepts of difficulty in teaching, and attitudes towards laboratory applications. The subjects were 31 third-year undergraduate students enrolled to a physical chemistry laboratory-I course in the Department of Chemistry Education in the spring semester of the 2011/12 academic year at Faculty of Education from a Turkish University. The students in groups of single and dual, every week of ten weeks for two groups participated of the same experimental study. The enthalpy concept test was administrated at the beginning and the end of each pre- and post-test experimental study and repeat the test was to determine the level of reliability and durability after treatment. Statistical analysis of experimental data, paired t-test was applied in the confidence interval of 0.05. At the end of the application of problem-based teaching model, the students' academic achievement gap between pre-test scores and post-test scores was found to be a statistical significant difference. (C) 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Gürses, Ahmet; Çetinkaya, Songul; Dogar, Cetin; Sahin, Elif

It aims to determine the abilities of use of basic process skills of the students and the levels of conceptual learning of the students as oriented to general chemistry topics. The sampling comprises 160 students whose were studying at 10th and 11th grades of seven different high schools in Turkey. The study design is based on Survey model. The questionnaire prepared by considering the levels of conceptualization of chemistry topics of the students aims to measure their ability of use of science process skills. The questions and items were selected in the manner that it covers basic skills such as observation, classification, measurement, the sensing of space-time relationship and communicating, and also classified on the Bloom Taxonomy of cognitive development which consist of knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. The results from analysis of variance (ANOVA) show that. The differences between students' grade levels, score and order of admission to high school and the type of school have a significantly effect on the potential of use of basic process skills. (C) 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Gurses, Ahmet; Dogar, Cetin; Gunes, Kubra

A world-wide formal teaching practice related with courses is almost entirely a teacher-led one. Therefore, main problem to be addressed is what will be learners' position in teacher-led applications. Also, a full constructivist change requires a more comprehensive change beyond the grasp of understanding. For this, it is tried to propose a novel model that depends on rearrangement of interactive direct teaching approach on the basis of the constructivist learning In this model named as Interactive Direct Teaching Based on Constructivist Learning (IDTBCL), learning is evaluated as a mental transition or an oriented change from understanding (two dimensions) to conceptualization or conception (three dimensions). In this study, participants are twenty five students whose are attending at Department of Chemistry Education at Ataturk University, in Erzurum, Turkey. Pretest-posttest with no control group, which is a pre-experimental research design, was applied for determining the effectiveness in practice of the model proposed. In Physical Chemistry course the interactive direct instruction based on constructivist was conducted during one term. Before applications, a conceptual questionnaire which contains 10 multiply-choose questions was administrated to this group as a pre-test. According to pretest results, there was no difference in group in terms of conceptual achievement. Although, after applications it was observed that there is a significant positive difference between pre-test and post-test results. This can be attributed to success of the model in terms of the conceptualization and the creation of three-dimensional mental space of the knowledge. (C) 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Yildiz, Sebahattin; Meydan, Cebrail; Güner, Mehmet

Purpose of the study is to measure the intellectual capital through annual activity reports of banks that operate in Turkey and to determine whether the criteria of human capital, structural capital, and customer capital, which are the components of intellectual capital, are disclosed at different levels according to bank types or not. Method of the study is the content analysis. The sample group of the study is comprised of 3 banks that operate in 3 different sectors (public, private, participation bank). Measurements were conducted by ranking the criteria of intellectual capital components in activity reports of banks between 2007 and 2011. In accordance with findings, Turkish banks primarily disclosed the customer capital, which is followed by structural capital and then human capital. Considering the sectoral differences, it was determined that respectively, bank with private capital, bank with participation capital and the public bank gave more importance to the intellectual capital. (C) 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Dogar, Cetin; Kaplan, Mesut; Gürses, Ahmet

It is important that the level of students' access to the internet in the information age. The purpose of this study is to determine certain variables of primary school students on their attitudes to the Internet. Working in the academic year 2011-2012 was made and research method is carried out by using survey method. The sampling consists of 272 elementary school students. Data was obtained by using Internet Attitude Scale (.874) of a 20-item and interpretative analysis were applied to the data. The results showed that preference of binding sites to the Internet, educational level, the Examination of Degree Identity(EDI), and gender aspects of the statistically significant differences on primary students' attitudes toward the Internet were found. (C) 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Ineç, Zekeriya Fatih; Akpinar, Erdal

Internet, which covers all the network of information systems have changed the direction of digital communication with various communication protocols. Unquestionably these new innovations in information technologies affect Geographical Information Systems (GIS). Thus; GIS databases used to be shared and carried with compact discs but now with the help of desktop GIS (DGIS) applications can be shared more easily. On the other hand web based GIS (WebGIS) applications are able to reach their databases at servers with different internet protocols. This allows mobile users to access easily; as a result popularity of WebGIS has recently increased. WebGIS applications are able to share data requested by mobile users via HyperText Transfer Protocol (http) with the help of its dynamic content. This has caused the need for a different layer model and a work that shows compilation degree. This study explains how DIV layers are constructed with Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML) and laminated with Style sheet (CS S) codes. In this study it is explained how created layer will be shown on the place that we want of the x,y level, also the codes that are used to present with dynamic content with Active Server Pages (ASP) web programming language are explained. Sharing of the codes that are used in this simple application is not only important for avoiding dependence to GIS programs which are the monopoly but also for introduction of DIV layer model that is tried in WebGIS applications for the first time. Therefore, the obtained results will be helpful to researchers. (C) 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Kiliçgün, Muge Yurtsever

School gardens are places where children meet their needs such as breathe fresh air, relaxation, learning, movement and play. A well-planned garden should be able to meet children's needs. Whenever, school gardens are designed, children's views and recommendations should be given. Hence, the aim of the study was to determine what 3-6 aged children want to play in school garden. In the scope of research, games wanted by children to play in the school gardens were analyzed under three headings as activity types, structure and number of players. 139 girls, 145 boys, totally 284 children were taken place in research's sample. 3 aged children was 63, 4 aged was 77, 5 aged was 82 and 6 aged was 62. In the scope of research, it was asked from 3-6 aged children to imagine a game they wanted to play in school garden and to draw and describe this game. Data were analyzed by using percent (%), frequency (f) and chi-square analysis. Games were analyzed according to their structure; it was observed that gender wasn't cause significant difference. Children aged 3-5 drew imaginary games, while aged 6 drew co-operative games. When games were analyzed according to the type of activity, it was detected that girls drew games played with fixed game equipments such as swing, slide, while boys drew movement games without tools such as running, chase. With increasing age, it was seen that children wanted to movement games with tools like cycling, roller skating, games played with play materials like balls, ropes, games played with songs and tongue twisters and games played with fixed environment equipments such as climbing, swimming. With decreasing age children wanted to play with natural materials like sand, water, stable game like swing, slide and mimic and role-playing games. When games were analyzed according to number of the player, it was determined that gender wasn't lead to any differences. With decreasing age it was seen that children wanted to play individual games, while with increasing age children wanted to games played as a group. (C) 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Ergül, Esra; Koç, Mustafa

The purpose of this literature review is to determine the roles of animated agents in web-based distance education. The review was organized according to such themes as the structure and creation of animated agents, their cognitive and affective benefits, the importance of facial appearance and reality of animated agents in web-based distance learning and communication, and online animated agents. The instructional roles of animated agents were explored through a variety of experimental studies. The findings revealed that animated agents could take instructional roles such as a teacher, a mentor, a coach or an assistant in learning environments. Besides, multidisciplinary instructional environments enriched with animated agents could significantly contribute to the related literature in terms of the pedagogical outcomes they supply. The initiatives on the related context could be useful in order to fill the gap in Turkey. Therefore, it is suggested that animated agents should be integrated into web-based learning environments via considering the pedagogical elements in future studies. (C) 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.