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The purpose of this study is to examine the vocational English language needs of students in an ESP context in the Accommodation and Travel Service department at a vocational and technical Anatolian high school. The study is a partially mixed sequential equal status design. While convenient sampling method was employed to select students, criterion sampling method was utilized to select teachers and supervisors as participants. As a result, 25 ATS students, two vocational course teachers, two English teachers and three supervisors contributed to this research. A survey, semi-structured interview forms and open ended questions in the open interview were employed respectively to collect data from students, teachers and supervisors. In the analysis of the survey data both qualitative and quantitative methods were put into effect. On the other hand, the interview data were analysed through systematic content analysis, inductive coding and thematizing. The result of the analysis of the data revealed that students in this specific context were in need of improving particularly their speaking and listening skills. Low self-confidence of students, negative attitude toward speaking the language, lack of use of appropriate materials; strategies and methods during instruction emerged as issues of consideration in order to reach a resolution. Finally, lack of an appropriate curriculum, lack of strong school-enterprise relationships and inadequate professional qualifications of teachers emerged as issues to be considered by decision makers. [This study has been fully presented at the 8th International Curriculum and Instruction Congress, March 25-27 2021.]

The present study analyzes discursive practices that work to construct particular female identities and re/construct gender inequalities in Turkish educational system. Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) was utilized to analyze 124 publicly available educational policy documents directly related to gender in education. Additionally, CDA was applied to a total of 252 Turkish newspaper clippings published over the last decade in 14 different national newspapers. Analysis of the data was used to critically examine perceptions of teachers regarding gender issues in education. A total of 13 semi-structured interviews with teachers working at public schools in Ankara province were conducted for this purpose. The analysis describes the effects of discourse produced by and through the framing of policies and educational practices that shape Turkish social identities. Specific discursive effects examined include the construction and normalization of a female identity that is inferior, submissive, and conservative.

Despite national and international attempts to eliminate gender inequality in education, it remains a pressing issue in Turkey. Because gender equality is often shaped by and through discursive practices, the present study explores how educational policy and media discourses create gender inequalities in education. The critical discourse analysis examines 124 policy documents published by 12 governmental organizations and 252 newspaper clippings found in 14 different national newspapers published in Turkey over the last decade. Additionally, interviews were conducted with 13 teachers working at K-12 schools. Our analysis showed that while official statements support gender equality in education, contradictions underlying many educational policies continue to re/produce gender inequalities.

Promoting active citizenship is seen as invaluable for educational practices in schools particularly in existing social, political, economic, and cultural context of Turkish society. The present study is part of a European Union project that aimed to help students develop knowledge, skills, attitudes and values to actively participate in democratic life, mainly by learning and exercising their rights and responsibilities as citizens both at school and also in their community. The study explored the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values developed by students through the project which are considered to be necessary for active citizenship. Employing qualitative multiple case research design, the sample consisted of 82 eight-grade students and 3 social studies teachers from three different middle schools in Ankara. The data were collected during and after the implementation of activities through observation, formative evaluation forms, student focus group discussions, teacher interviews, and the project evaluation form. The data were analyzed by content analysis method. The findings portrayed that the project activities were conducive to develop the characteristics of active citizenship in students in terms of the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values.

The purpose of this study is to analyze the educational policies of Turkey in Central Asia and Caucasia in the post-Soviet era in terms of their successes and failures as perceived by some of the relevant professional policy makers in this field as well as experts from various think-tank institutions in Turkey who are interested in the region. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 participants. The findings indicated that Turkey's educational polices in the Turkic republics of Central Asia and Caucasia since 1991 have provided certain benefits for both Turkey and these republics, despite the fact that there are important problems that need urgent solutions.

This study estimates the individual and combined effects of selected family, student and school characteristics on the academic achievement of poor, urban primary-school students in the Turkish context. Participants of the study consisted of 719 sixth, seventh, and eighth grade primary-school students from 23 schools in inner and outer city squatter settlements. The findings indicated that the set of variables comprising student characteristics, including well-being at school, scholastic activities and support, explained the largest amount of variance in academic achievement among the urban poor. Although the effect sizes are small, family background characteristics and school quality indicators were also found to be significantly related to academic achievement. The implications of this study for improving primary schools in urban poor neighborhoods are discussed. (Contains 2 tables.)