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WOS: 000336911900005, In this study, the mediator and moderator effects of subjective vitality on the relationship between life satisfaction and subjective happiness were investigated. The participants were 378 university students who completed a questionnaire package that included the Subjective Vitality Scale, the Satisfaction with Life Scale, and the Subjective Happiness Scale. The results of hierarchical regression analysis demonstrated that subjective vitality partially mediated the relationship between life satisfaction and subjective happiness. Hierarchical regression analysis indicated that subjective vitality did not moderate the relationship between life satisfaction and subjective happiness.

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of metacognition on ones academic locus of control. The studys sample group consists of 451 university students enrolled in various programs at Sakarya University, Turkey. In this study, the Metacognitive Awareness Inventory and the Academic Locus of Control Scale were used. The correlations and path analysis were examined. The hypothesis model was tested through path analysis. The findings of the path analysis reveal that while an internal academic locus of control was predicted to have a positive relation with metacognition, an external academic locus of control was predicted to have a negative relation. In conclusion, the research indicates that metacognition affects academic locus of control in that students whose internal academic locus of control is high are more likely to adopt metacognition than are students whose external academic locus of control is high. Therefore, the current findings act to increase our understanding of the different relationships between metacognition and academic locus of control

In this study, it is aimed to adapt the Scientific Reasoning Scale (SRS) into Turkish. The translated form has been provided to the students enrolled at different levels together with a form in which they were requested to present what they have understood and the reason of their responses. It was seen that the explanations of students to one item were inconsistent or insufficient, and an alternative item was added to the test. Investigations based on PCA and CFA revealed that the psychometric properties of the test containing the alternative item were better. Moderate and positive correlations were found between the SRS scores and the CCTDI and LCTSR scores. The applications carried out before and after the course on scientific research methods carried out during a term at the undergraduate level revealed that a significant increase in the SRS scores was achieved. It was seen that there was significant difference between the scores of the students enrolled at undergraduate and graduate levels. Average item difficulty was .40 and discrimination indices was .50 and over. As result, it is seen that SRS could be used for measuring the scientific reasoning ability of the undergraduate students.

Işıtan, Sonnur (Balikesir Author), This study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of an instrument designed to measure parental practices to support young children's learning and literacy at home (ELLS) and explore the predictive validity of the instrument by examining the associations between the ELLS subscales (basic concepts, phonological awareness, conceptual understanding) and children's narrative skill scores. The sample included 315 parents of three to five years old preschool-aged children. The results of a confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated that a hypothesized three-factor model was a good fit to the sample data. All subscales had adequate internal consistency. The overall findings of the current study suggest that phonological awareness is the strongest predictors of children's narrative skills. Parental activities that aim to promote children's phonological awareness appear to make a greater contribution to the children's narrative skills than the activities that enhance children's knowledge of basic concepts and understanding of events and characters depicted in picture books.

The aim of this study is to determine whether items from the mathematics section of the 2012 Level Determination Exam indicate item bias according to gender and school type. In particular, the process of item bias has been determined using the Delphi technique and focus group interviews. A two-stage mixed method research has been used for the study. While the first stage consists of identifying items that display differential item functioning (DIF) according to gender and school type, the second stage consists of determining the sources of DIF using the Delphi technique and examining through a focus-group interview which DIF sources lead to item bias. Mantel-Haenszel and logistic regression methods have been used for DIF analysis. While two items with significant DIF were detected according to gender, five items in favor of private schools were detected according to school type. In the process of item bias, the reasons why items display DIF have been determined using the Delphi technique, and 22 DIF sources were agreed upon. Finally, an expert panel was made to examine whether the DIF sources are grounds for item bias or not. According to the panel of experts, one item according to gender and two items according to the school type have been determined to show bias.

The qualifications of the educators who teach children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) may affect the outputs of the education. Qualified educators play an important role in skill development. Therefore, educators need to have special qualifications. Within this scope, it is important to organize well-designed training programs for the educators which aims enabling them to gain the skills and the knowledge specific to autism.In this action research, the problems of the educators working with children with ASD are described, with an aim to solve these problems and to provide training for meeting such needs and to analyze the results. Research data were collected through a variety of methods including observations, meetings, interviews, researcher reflections and artifacts. The data were analyzed via inductive analysis. The findings are interpreted into seven themes as follows: Teaching problems, behavioral problems, dealing with teaching and behavioral problems, educational needs, educational practices aimed at solving the existing problems and meeting the needs and changes in the process of implementation, changes in the performances of the participants, opinions of the participants on educational practices. Findings reveal that the participants did benefit from the educational practices offered. All findings are discussed in parallel with the relevant literature.Key WordsAction Research, Applied Behavior Analysis, Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), Discrete Trial Teaching, Educator Training, Inductive Analysis, Qualitative Research, Special Education.The qualifications of the educators who teach children with ASD may affect the outputs of the education. Qualified and competent educators play an important role in skill development and quality of life. Therefore, the educators need to have special qualifications (Billingsley, Israel, & Smith, 2011; Constable, Grossi, Moniz, & Ryan, 2013; Koegel, Matos-Fredeen, Lang, & Koegel, 2011; Ozyurek, 2008; Scheuermann & Webber, 2002; Scheuermann, Webber, Boutot, & Goodwin, 2003; Simpson, 2004). Although there are not sufficient data regarding the qualifications of the educators, there is a consensus about the following standards for qualified educators in special education and ASD field: (a) using evidence-based teaching methods, especially applied behavior analysis (ABA). Because many of these methods based on the ABA (for example, Discrete Trial Teaching (DTT), incidental teaching, errorless teaching, activity schedules). ABA methods can produce important and lasting improvements for a large number of children with ASD(Billingsley, 2004b; Eikeseth, 2009, 2010; K?rcaali-?ftar & Tekin-?ftar, 2012; Klintwall & Eikeseth, 2012; Koegel et al., 2011; Kurt, 2012; Leaf et al., 2013; Lerman, Vorndran, Addison, & Kuhn, 2004; Lovaas, 2003; National Autism Center [NAC], 2009; Roxburgh & Carbone, 2013; Virue's-Ortega, 2010), (b) having sufficient level of knowledge regarding ASD (Eikeseth, 2010; Koegel et al., 2011; K?rcaali-?ftar, 2007; Lovaas, 2003; Scheuermann et al., 2003), (c) being able to prepare and implement an individualized education program (IEP) (Ozyurek, 2008; NAC, 2009; Thompson, 2011), (d) being able to evaluate the student and the program (Eikeseth, 2010; Ozyurek, 2008; Scheurmann & Webber, 2002; Sucuo?lu, 2012), (e) being able to implement curriculum that covers core areas affected in children with ASD (Eikeseth, 2010; K?rcaali-?ftar, 2007; Lovaas, 2003; Scheuermann et al., 2003) and (f ) having the knowledge and skills to deal with behavioral problems (Anderson & Romanczyk, 1999; Eikeseth, 2010; Koegel, MatosFredeen, Lang, & Koegel, 2011; Scheuermann et al., 2003). However, unfortunately very few educators have these qualifications and most of them lack the necessary skills and knowledge. Within this scope, well-designed and specialty-focused educator training programs will enhance their quality and competency. …

Limits are a basic and important concept in mathematics. They can be assumed as one of the most fundamental concepts and influential instruments of general mathematics because they lead especially to the understanding of derivations and integrals (Cildir, 2012; Coker, Ozer, & Tac, 1989). In other words, limit knowledge is a pre-concept related to many important mathematical concepts such as derivatives, integrals, continuities, and convergences. Therefore, it also constitutes an important role in high school and college mathematics curricula.Knowledge and Historical Development of LimitsLimits were used in theorems related to shapes with curvilinear sides in early times. Euclid and Archimedes used this concept for the first time. For example, Archimedes used them to calculate the area of a circle. In his justification, the area of the circle is equal to the area of a right triangle whose base equals the circle's circumference and whose height equals the circle's radius. In this process, the circle is assumed to be a straight line equal to the circumference of it. He calculated the inferior and superior limits to find the straight line in this justification (Cajori, 2014, p. 25). However, the use of limits with the same current meaning was based on work from the 17th century. For example, Fermat examined the interrelation between the limit of a curve at a point on the graph and the tangent of that point of the curve (Baki, 2008, p. 147). Afterwards, the researchers Newton and Leibniz used limits to calculate integrals. In other words, differential equations emerged from knowledge on limits (Baki, 2014, p. 145). Newton can be said to have used this concept in general, not for any specific purpose. He used it to extrapolate a few different principles used for a variety of purposes (Cajori, 2014, p. 234). Similarly, the area under the curve of y = x2 restricted for 0 Difficulties in Learning and Teaching LimitsThese days, difficulties and misconceptions about limit knowledge are encountered by students as learning the subject of limits brings along serious difficulties for students in the advanced subjects of high-school curriculum. Because limits contain different procedures that include infinity in particular, they are also not a simple subject (Bacturk & Donmez, 2011; Tangul, Barak, & Ozdac, 2015). Most students cannot place the knowledge of limits in their minds and for this reason have difficulty making sense of it; as a result, students have trouble learning limit knowledge (Cildir, 2012). Specifically, they have difficulty performing operations related to limits. This situation has been reflected in different studies. Within this context, Durmuc (2004); Gurbuz, Toprak, Yapici, and Dogan (2011); and Tatar, Okur, and Tuna (2008) aimed to determine difficult subjects in mathematics courses and to reveal the roots underlying these difficulties. Thus all of these studies found the subject of limits taking place at the top of subjects which students perceive as difficult. The desire to uncover the difficulties with limits is the main reason why the number of studies made on this concept has increased (Bacturk & Donmez, 2011).Some limit-knowledge studies (Barak, 2007; Bacturk & Donmez 2011; Denbel, 2014; Juter, 2006; Szydlik, 2000; Tangul et al., 2015) revealed students' difficulties and misconceptions. In the studies by Barak (2007) and Bacturk and Donmez (2011), students were determined to have different misconceptions about limit knowledge. …

WOS: 000405956500012, The transformation of coursebook publishing into an industrial giant has brought about variety, choice, and difficulty of decision making. As coursebook selection profoundly influences the quality of foreign language instruction in Turkey, it is essential to investigate what kind of instruments are used, which method is followed, what criteria are sought and how relevant parties are affected by its results. Therefore, 54 graduate theses evaluating EFL coursebooks in the 2001-2013 period were taken from the CoHE Thesis Center. The documentary data were subjected to content analysis by using the thesis categorisation form for describing research trends, determining shared evaluative criteria and variable patterns, and providing recommendations for the future. It was revealed that: (i) studies dealing with EFL coursebook evaluations accelerated after MoNE's program changes, (ii) while not even half were designed with mixed methods research, qualitative theses concentrated on document analysis of coursebooks, (iii) teacher and student views were surveyed by means of similar Likert scales adapted from previous checklists, (iv) other sample groups like parents, administrators, authors, and publishers were either underrepresented or not represented at all, (v) correlational descriptive studies frequently compared teacher and student views against similar categorical variables, (vi) the need for deeper, experimental, and innovative research was completely overlooked and multivariate analyses were never employed, (vii) despite their variety, local coursebooks received more focus but were met with user disapproval due to persistent deficiencies in design, content, methodology, and skills, (viii) whereas global coursebooks were appreciated for their communicative methodology, integrated skills instruction, authenticity, and cultural content, and (ix) instead of exploratory research, they tended to recommend replications with larger or different populations and on different coursebooks.

WOS: 000417396600013, It is of paramount significance for teachers to develop themselves professionally, improving their theoretical knowledge, practice, and technological skills, as these elements bear a definitive influence on their teaching qualities throughout their entire vocational life. In this regard, one professional development approach is coaching. Adopting an action research design and conducted at the Research Center for the Education of Hearing Impaired Students (RCEHI) affiliated with Anadolu University in Turkey, this study aims to analyze the coaching based professional development process of a teacher-researcher working with hearing impaired students. The participants are a researcher, who is also the author of this article, and an experienced teacher trainer acting as a coach. The data collection tools used are video and audio records, documents, and reflective diaries. Data were analyzed using a systematic analytic analysis procedure. The data analysis revealed three primary themes concerning coaching based professional development; namely, planning and implementing professional development process, problems, and relevant solutions. Noteworthy features of the study are that the process is well-planned, goal-oriented, systematic, and cyclic. In addition, the process also takes into account individual characteristics and is based on effective communication with the coach and the coach's guidance. In accordance with the findings, it is suggested that guidelines be improved to explain how to benefit from coaching to enhance professional development and that coaching based approaches be made more common. Furthermore, future research may focus on the role of coaching on teachers' professional development and students' academic success.

This study is designed to explore the reasons for sending and not sending preschool age children to preschools at an early age by exploring the motivations for and barriers towards promoting preschool education in Turkey. It aimed to determine various stakeholders' perceptions, attitudes, and knowledge related to preschool education in order to promote high-quality and comprehensive preschool education. The research was conducted with 224 participants in five cities in Turkey. Qualitative data was collected through individual and focus group interviews and interpreted by content analysis and descriptive analysis. The findings indicated that families put forward the following reasons for sending their children to preschool: preschool education prepares children for school and helps form the habit of attending school, teachers' efforts in convincing parents to send their children to preschool, providing the care for the children of working mothers with preschool teachers , and preschool helps children develop social behavior. The following factors were reasons families did not send their children to preschool: economic conditions, perceiving the child as too young, concerns over practices at school, perceptions about the mother's role, and distrust of the transportation system. The results will help decision makers develop policies and strategies to heighten the general public's awareness of the need for early education, as well as better provide early education opportunities.KeywordsPreschool education · Motivation · Barrier · Pre-schooling · Dissemination of preschool educationResearch is well established in showing that access to a high-quality early childhood education has a direct and permanent effect at every stage of human development (Avila & Baldwin, 2007; Barnett, 2008; Blau & Currie, 2005; Heckman & Masterov, 2007; Reynolds, 1992; Reynolds, Mehana, & Temple, 1995). For this reason, in order to provide early education policies, countries determine their equality in opportunity policies and form new strategies. Many countries regulate their early childhood education practices through the state legislature and as part of the education system according to the socio-political developments of the country. These legislative regulations determine basic core values in areas like curriculum, institutional process, teacher education, personnel requirement, monitoring and finance, and parent-teacher cooperation (Bankovic, 2014; Karila, 2008; Kuisma & Sandberg, 2008; Sheridan, Williams, Sandberg, & Vuorinen, 2011).Likewise, preschool education and the preschool teacher training system have been changed and developed in Turkey. Even though kindergartens opened before 1908, they became organized and widespread following the Temporary Preschool Law dated 23 September 1913. After two years, the Law Primary school bylaws were issued in 1915.Accordingly, kindergartens were opened, whether attached or unattached to primary schools, in order to provide education for children aged four to seven (Akyuz, 1989; Cicioglu, 1989). With the opening of kindergartens, the need for trained teachers in these schools arose. In the same year as the issuance of the bylaws, a kindergarten teacher education school providing one year of education was opened in Istanbul, but it was closed after four years of operation in 1919. In this period, 370 preschool teachers were educated (Oguzkan & Oral, 1987) and preschool education took its institutional place in the education process in real terms.However, for many years, the insufficient quality and quantity of early education, the changing position of women within the family and their active roles in real life due to rapid socio-cultural and economical changes, and, most importantly, the positive impact of early education on a child's development as proven by educational studies and brain surveys demonstrate the necessity to take certain measures in the early stages of care and education of children. …

Writing, a basic language skill, is an individual expression of one's knowledge, feelings, thoughts, beliefs, imaginations, and desires in writing (Temizkan, 2014). Writing skills differs from listening, reading, and speaking-which are the other components of language- in a number of ways (Tok & Potur, 2015). Firstly, writing is a skill of description, and in this respect differs from listening and reading (Karatay, 2011). Secondly, although listening and speaking skills are learned to a certain extent in preschool, writing skills are acquired in formal scholastic education. Formal education's need for developing writing skills makes this skill different from listening and speaking skills (Ungan, 2007). Considering the properties of writing skills, writing skills can be said to be slower and more difficult to develop than other language skills (Guneyli, 2016). Difficulties in developing writing skills and the need for more time to improve it can cause individuals to develop some negative feelings toward it (Yaman, 2010). Upon reviewing the relevant literature (Cocuk, Yanpar Yelken, & Ozer, 2016; Daly, 1978; Fathi Huwari & Al-Shboul, 2016; Faigley, Daly, & Witte, 1981; Iseri & Unal, 2012; Kusdemir, Sahin, & Bulut, 2016; Yildiz & Ceyhan, 2016), the negative feeling individuals have in relation to writing is mainly found to be writing apprehension.Writing ApprehensionWriting apprehension, first conceptualized by Daly and Miller (1975; as cited in Smith, 1984), is defined as the anxiety individuals feel in situations where they need to express their feelings and thoughts in writing (Tighe, 1987). Writing apprehension can stem from its complicated nature requiring the use of meta-cognitive skills (Bayat, 2014), from individuals feeling weak and incompetent about their writing, from their negative experiences with writing, or from a lack of reading habits (Zorbaz, 2011). No matter what the source, writing apprehension causes individuals to lose their mental flexibility (Baymur, 1994) and results in failing to generate ideas about what to write (Tiryaki, 2012). Thus, writing apprehension can turn the action of writing into a troublesome and challenging process (Karakaya & Ulper, 2011) that can negatively affect individuals' writing performance (Badrasawi, Zubairi, & Idrus, 2016; Ferguson, 2011; Hassan, 2001).Measuring Writing ApprehensionWriting apprehension has been a subject of study for a long time in the international literature, and a number of scales exist in the literature developed by various researchers for measuring writing apprehension (Cheng, 2004; Daly & Miller, 1975; Petzel & Wenzel, 1993; Stacks, Boozer, & Lally, 1983). The first scale to measure writing apprehension was the WAT, developed by Daly and Miller (1975). WAT is composed of 26 items, 13 positive and 13 negative. Daly and Miller evaluated the psychometric properties of the test in a sample of university students. In studies performed later (Richmond & Dickson-Markman, 1985; Singh & Rajalingam, 2012; Zorbaz, 2010), procedures to determine the psychometric properties of the test were repeated with students coming from differing stages of education. As a consequence, the test was found usable for measuring primary-school and high-school students' writing apprehension. Aside from the WAT, another tool for measuring writing apprehension was introduced into the literature by Petzel and Wenzel (1993). The Writing Anxiety Scale (Petzel & Wenzel, 1993) is composed of 103 items placed under nine factors (empathy, expression, evaluation by others, motivation, organization, procrastination, self-esteem, technical skills, and writing anxiety). Another measuring instrument for use in determining writing apprehension is the Second Language Writing Anxiety Inventory (Cheng, 2004). The inventory has three factors (somatic anxiety, cognitive anxiety, and avoidance behavior) and contains 27 items. …

1st International Conference on Studies in Education -- OCT 14-16, 2016 -- Barcelona, SPAIN, WOS: 000417396600008, Systematic and organized management of guidance and placement procedures is a definitive prerequisite for the quality and functionality of inclusive settings. This research aims to analyze the Guidance and Research Centers' (GRCs) procedures for guiding students with hearing loss into inclusive settings in Turkey. Being designed as a phenomenological study, it is composed of semi-structured interviews conducted over 14 experts and six parents. Research data have been subjected to inductive analysis, which has revealed five groups of themes regarding inclusive settings, such as how guidance procedures work in GRCs, the guidance criteria for inclusive settings, and suggestions for improving the quality of these procedures. Findings show that the participant experts and parents go through these guidance procedures starting with educational assessment and have faced problems with team work and parental participation. Aside from the experts' need for professional development, the lack of criteria for guiding into inclusive settings is a noteworthy problem. This study concludes that the organizational structure of GRCs should be revised to enhance the quality of the guidance procedures and suggests that future case studies are needed to understand these guidance procedures comprehensively., TUBITAK 1001 Program [114K236], This study, conducted under the supervision of Associate Professor Dr. Hasan Gurgur as a product of the first author's master's thesis, has been supported under Project 114K236 within the scope of the TUBITAK 1001 Program and was presented as an oral paper at the Congress of 1st International Conference on Studies in Education in Barcelona, Spain.

WOS: 000376119400009, The purpose of the present study is to investigate how well coping styles, social support, relational self-construal, and resilience characteristics predict first year university students' ability to adjust to university life. Participants consisted of 527 at-risk students attending a state university in Turkey. The Personal Information Form, Risk Factors Defining List, Relational Interdependent Self-Construal Scale, Perceived Social Support Scale, Coping Styles Scale-Brief Form, and Resiliency Scale were used to collect data for the current study. In order to test the data, several hierarchical multiple regression analysis composed of seven different steps was conducted, the results of which indicate that relational self-construal, perceived social support, coping styles, and resilience in college students with certain risk characteristics have a significant predicting role on adjustment to university life. Among all independent variables, resilience characteristics were the most effective at predicting adjustment to university life and its sub-dimensions. Results were discussed in the light of the literature and various suggestions for future studies were included.

Globalization, awareness of the importance of investment in human capital, exponential increase in knowledge, rapid development of technology, changing needs and expectations, establishment of international standards, and similar social, economic, political and technological developments have a significant impact on internal structures and operation of schools, and drive them to change (Hoy & Miskel, 2010). What is discussed now is not the necessity of change, but how to manage this process of change and how to achieve success (Sayli & Tufekci, 2008); because in order for a system to sustain and to be effective, it needs to adapt itself to the ever-changing conditions around itself (Kurcunoglu, 2006). Planning the change and ensuring its sustainability through successfully managing and implementing it is crucial for an organization to improve itself, to respond to demands, and to successfully continue to exist for a longer time (Akyuz, 2006; Ozmen & Sonmez, 2007). Change, in its general meaning, describes a situation where individuals or objects change their places or personal knowledge and skills become advanced over time (Kocel, 2011). In other words, change is the transformation of a system, a process or an environment from one status to another in a planned or unplanned manner (Sabuncuoglu, 2008). According to Kant, change happens when "special characteristics of something undergo change" or when "something is transformed into something else" (Yeniceri, 2002). From an organizational point of view, change describes a process experienced by an organization in order to provide more products and services in a more efficient, more productive and more competitive manner using more economic means in a shorter period of time. Changes in economic conditions, technological developments, market changes, legal amendments, and changing customer preferences due to social and political changes are considered among the external reasons of organizational change, whereas human resources problems, organizational inadequacies, financial problems, managerial behaviors and decisions as well as in-house innovation are considered among the internal reasons for change (Oztop, 2014). It is crucial for administrators to be aware of and to give reactions against such reasons, forcing organizations to change in terms of the organizations' success, both during this process of change and in the future. Change is a must for ensuring and sustaining organizational development, while change management as a skill is a must have qualification for administrators. An organization is a combination of individuals, technology, and structures and processes regulating individuals' relations with each other and with their profession. Organizational structure and processes have an important impact on the attitudes and behaviors of the employees in the organization. Therefore, organizational structure and processes cannot be regarded as separate from each other in terms of organizational change. Organizational development does not foresee a change only in individuals, technology, structure or processes, but a change in all of these as a whole (Friedlander & Brown, 1978 as cited in Balci, 2002). Owens (1987) defines organizational change as "a premeditated, planned, unusual and authentic effort that contributes to the organization to reach newer goals or to achieve the existing goals in a more effective manner" (cited in Altunay, Arli, & Yalcinkaya, 2012). In general, it is possible to speak of two types of change: planned and unplanned. "Planned change" is desirable for organizations, and means a change realized with the participation of and support of the members of an organization. "Unplanned change," on the other hand, is defined as inevitable change undergone by organizations, consciously or not, due to unexpected circumstances (Escalente, 2005; Ozdemir, 2000).Change is a difficult and a painful process for organizations. When goals of the change are in unity with the goals of employees, change is better supported by the employees (Ozkan, 2004; West-Burnham, 1991 as cited in Toremen, 2002). …

Recently, the idea that individuals who become learners in educational settings have different features not only in terms of language and culture, but also cognitive skills, past life experiences, pre-knowledge resulting from these experiences, and the way that they, has been widely accepted in the literature of educational sciences (Huebner, 2010; Prince, 2011; Schlechty, 2009; Tomlinson, 1995, 2001; Tomlinson et al., 2003; Vygotsky, 1978).This fact comes along with the necessity for teachers that they plan their teaching considering the differences of the students who are defined as the richness of teaching (Anderson, 2007; Palmer, 2005). Research findings show that teachers feel this necessity, and most of them consider the culture, language, economy, intelligence, motivation, etc. and related differences between students as an important part of the educational processes (Casey & Gable, 2011; Prince, 2011; Sharabi, 2009). However, examining the implementations intended to address these differences, we can observe that teachers either ignore this fact, or the plans they design involve giving less tasks for students with learning difficulties, and provide better students with more complicated tasks they probably have difficulty in doing (Gable et al., 2000). These kinds of implementations can be defined as useless or asystematic as students are assigned to a task that is more advanced, or much easier than the conceptual framework they learn. However, differentiation in education is not an approach based on "more" or "less" challenge trials. On the contrary, it is considered a process that is based on theoretical foundations related to the topic, requires systematic planning, has certain implementation principles, and required clarity (Levy, 2008).This process, called differentiated education, is an approach that is inspired from Vygotsky's (1978) socio-cultural learning theory that asserts that learners should study in certain social and cultural contexts. Additionally, this approach was also influenced by brain-based learning principles. Some of the principles of brain-based learning theory that have influenced the differentiated education approach are as follows (Tomlinson & Kalbfleisch, 1998): (1) Safe and unthreatening learning environments support learning. (2) Students should meet new circumstances in an appropriate way, they should feel comfortable when they face new circumstances, and besides content should be neither too easy, not too difficult. (3) Students should make sense of the ideas and skills through meaningful relations. Additionally, we can claim that this approach has also been affected by theories that are learning and information-processing oriented, and based on learning and thinking styles (Dunn, 2000; Kolb, 1984; Sternberg & Williams 2002). Similarly, the multiple-intelligence theory coined by Gardner (1993) is one of the theories that influenced the differentiation in teaching's emphasis of individual differences between learners. In addition, there is another theory that influenced differentiation in teaching. It is Maslow's (1987) theory of hierarchy of needs, which asserts that students can only learn when their basic needs are met, and as their needs are met students can get to more advanced levels of learning. Tomlinson (1995) who were inspired from the theories mentioned above, and organized differentiated education approach as an efficient and systematic approach that is based on arranging content, process and product for each learner, was also one of the most important contributors to this approach. At this point, it would be beneficial to define the concept of the "Differentiated Education Approach" studied in the present research, and its uses in educational environments in detail.In the related literature, the differentiated education approach is defined as a process in which teachers plan their teaching considering the different needs of different learners, not arranging the quantitative structures of the tasks assigned to students, but making qualitative analyses to associate the structure of the task and students' needs (Hall et al. …

The relationship between online learning readiness, academic motivations, and perceived learning was investigated via structural equation modeling in the research. The population of the research consisted of 750 students who studied using the online learning programs of Sakarya University. 420 of the students who volunteered for the research and filled the scales via the convenience sampling method constituted the research sample. The correlational research model was used in the research. The scales of online learning readiness, academic motivation, and perceived learning were applied to the participants. The relationship among the variables of the research and the research hypotheses for the model were tested via structural equation modeling. It was revealed as a result of the research that the online-learning readiness levels of students predicted their academic motivations directly and their perceived learning indirectly. It was also found that student academic motivations predicted their perceived learning directly. The proposed model was verified in accordance with the data obtained from the research. It was determined as a result of the model obtained from the research that academic motivation is effective in increasing perceived learning in online learning, and increasing readiness is an effective way to increase academic motivation.

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 semistructured 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.Keywords: Erasmus Program * Teacher candidates * Phenomenological study * Semi-structured interview * Content analysisEducational systems are relatively new mentions for countries, coming mainly with industrialization. While educational policies were once considered a national issue, with the globalization, this they have gained an international characteristic, causing their respective policies to change in line with a globalized world. Today, this change is particularly visible in higher education services. The qualified labor force and the financial support brought by the higher education market have been influential in the formation of this process (Gul, 2013; Knight, 2004; Marshall, 2005). Turkey has been conducting studies to provide equal opportunities in schooling, to ensure the balance between supply and demand, and to decrease the differences between welfare levels throughout its various regions. While establishing a university in each province has been the first step in this direction, efforts to ensure a certain standard of quality are still in progress. In this vein, student exchange programs have shown particular progress (Erdogan, 2014). Today, student exchange programs have gained functionality on the global level, and Turkey has focused on European Union (EU) agreements during this process. Turkey has worked to become a member of the EU, and one of the negation titles, which is also important for Turkey, is the issue of education. Turkey has played an active role in the process because it wants to obtain positive results from the negotiations on education and wants to increase the quality of higher education on the global level (Aba, 2013; Bologna Process, 2010; Devlet Planlana Teskilati [DPT], 2000; Tekin, 2011; Ulusal Ajans, 2005; Yuksekogretim Kurulu [YOK], 2007).Turkey, as well as EU member and other candidate countries, has formed a National Agency responsible for the introduction, function, observation, and evaluation of student and lecturer exchange programs. On December 22, 2002, Turkey signed agreements with the EU Commission on financial support and on what work needed to be done in order to become an EU member. Furthermore, Turkey signed the Preparatory Measures Agreements on the Leonardo, Socrates, and Youth programs as well as the Socrates Program Pilot Applications Agreements, finishing preparations by December of 2003 (Topcu, 2011, p. 9).The basic aim of these processes is to form a European Higher Education Field (EHEF) and prepare an action plan to ensure the quality of the higher education in Europe (Yagci, Cetin, & Turhan, 2013). …

WOS: 000353305900008, The current study has aimed to compare the objectives, content, teaching-learning process, and evaluation dimensions of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IBDP) Language A1 Course teaching program with those of the teaching programs of high school 12th grade Language and Expression and Turkish Literature courses in relation to critical thinking skills based on the opinions of students within a Turkish context. The present study adopted a qualitative research method and employed a case-study design. The study was conducted in Istanbul Prof. Dr. Mumtaz Turhan Social Sciences High School, which was the first and only state school implementing IBDP in Turkey during the fall term of the 2011-2012 school year. The study group was composed of 11 twelfth graders from this high school who participated in the IBDP and 15 twelfth graders participating in the national program. The study's data were collected through semi-structured interviews conducted with the students. The collected data were structured in the Nvivo 9 qualitative data analysis program and then analyzed by means of content analysis. At the end of the study, based on the students' opinions, it was concluded that although the objectives, content, learning-teaching process, and evaluation of the Language A1 Course made greater contributions to the development of students' critical thinking skills as compared to those of the Turkish Literature and Language and Expression Courses, there are several problems in implementing the IBDP in Turkey., Anadolu University BAP commission [1005E103], The present study was produced from number 1005E103 doctorate dissertation supported by Anadolu University BAP commission and conducted under the project management of Assoc. Prof. Meral Guven. This study was presented as an oral presentation in The National Educational Sciences Congress organized in Eskisehir Osmangazi University on 5-7 September 2013.

Generalizability theory (G theory) provides a broad conceptual framework for social sciences such as psychology and education, and a comprehensive construct for numerous measurement events by using analysis of variance, a strong statistical method. G theory, as an extension of both classical test theory and analysis of variance, is a model which can deal with multiple sources of error. In conducting the analysis of the G theory, there are several software programs that can be used such as GENOVA, SPSS, SAS, EduG, and G-String. In this study, the general perspectives of G theory are first explained broadly. Then, the SPSS and EduG software programs are used to conduct generalizability analyses on the data obtained from the answers of 30 students (p) to nine open-ended questions (i) as rated by three raters (r). There are three different designs in the study. Two of them are random effects designs, pxixr and pxi:r, and the last one is pxixr design using a fixed rater . According to the findings from the study, SPSS and EduG give the same results for variance component estimates as well as for G (Generalizability) and D (Decision) studies of all designs, as expected. Besides comparing the program outputs, their weaknesses and strengths were also discussed regarding different designs and data sets in this study

This study aims to examine kindergarten children's mental models of the day and night cycle and provide implications for pedagogical practices targeting space science concepts in early childhood classrooms. A total of 46 kindergartners participated in the study, their age ranging from 60 to 75 months, including 22 boys and 24 girls. Semi-structured interviews involving three tasks (verbal explanations, model manipulation, and model labeling) were conducted to collect the study data and children were individually interviewed. The data were analyzed using the model identification methodology. The results demonstrated that more than half of the children had naive mental models of the day and night cycle with the distance model being the most common naive model held by the children. A total of eight children held synthetic models of the day and night cycle while only six children held a scientific model of the day and night cycle. The findings of this study suggest that children possess limitations in verbally providing causal explanations. The use of models during the interviews helped children in expressing their ideas in a more competent manner, thereby overcoming their limitations in producing verbal explanations. Implications for pedagogical practices to support learning of the day and night cycle in early childhood classrooms are provided.

WOS:000344252600006, As a social sharing network whose number of users worldwide continues to rapidly increase, Twitter has become an active network for individuals to share their thoughts and feelings at any given time. The purpose of this work, then, is to evaluate Twitter users of Turkey in terms of how they write about their teachers on Twitter. In order to collect research data, the document analysis, a qualitative research method, was used to collect data during the first quarter of 2012. Specifically, Turkish Twitter users’ writings containing the ‘teacher’ were analyzed using the content analysis method. When tweets (articles) containing the word ‘teacher’ were examined, prominent emerging themes were discovered, including issues relating to teacher appointments, their low salary, criticisms of Turkey’s ministry of national education and its training systems, the value given to teachers as a community, teachers’ inadequacies, teachers’ unfair practices, and clichéd statements and words stereotypically used by teachers in the classroom.

WOS: 000344252600017, The purpose of the present study is to investigate first level of elementary school students' perceptions of the future state of the environment through the pictures they draw. The participants of the study are 131 first-grade students, 127 second-grade students, 160 third-grade students, 188 fourth-grade students, and 222 fifth-grade students, totaling 828 students. The study used the survey method, one of the descriptive research methods, to collect data. More specifically, the draw-and-explain technique, in which participants were asked to draw a picture about the environment and then explain their drawings, was used to collect data. In the analysis of the data, both qualitative and quantitative data analysis methods were employed. When the data were analyzed, it was found that 28.5% of the students held perceptions of a clean future environment, that 40.3% held perceptions of a polluted future environment, and 31.2% held perceptions of technological future environment. While a significant difference based on the region of residence and grade level was found in students' perceptions of the future state of the environment, gender did not yield a significant difference. The elementary school students' drawings mostly include elements such as trees, the sun, clouds, humans, birds, butterflies, houses, apartment buildings, mountains, seas, rivers, garbage, and dust bins. When the students' drawings were analyzed, it was found that the students mostly include environmental problems that they were more likely to see in their close environments, such as air pollution, soil pollution, over construction, and traffic. It was also found that students had a limited awareness of the types of pollution and of living and non-living organisms in the environment.

11th National Elementary Teacher Education Symposium -- MAY 24-26, 2012 -- Rize, TURKEY, WOS: 000344251400020, Geometric habits of mind are productive ways of thinking that support learning and using geometric concepts. Identifying primary school teacher candidates' geometric habits of mind is important as they affect the development of their future students' geometric thinking. Therefore, this study attempts to determine primary school teachers' geometric habits of mind. Participants were 57 primary school teacher candidates in their third year studying Primary School Education in a Faculty of Education at a state university in Turkey. The data were collected through four open-ended geometry problems on concepts of perimeter and area. The collected data were then analyzed based on the theoretical framework of the components of geometric habits of mind and in accordance with the stages of descriptive analysis. The results showed that the primary school teacher candidates did not possess different ways of thinking about the components indicating geometric habits of mind. The study also found that the candidates could not analyze the given problems appropriately and acted on the first idea they came up with, but they were unable to apply these actions on the problem and, therefore, their geometric habits of mind were not at the desired level.

WOS: 000344252600016 This research was conducted to determine how social studies teachers define value and "values education" as well as reveal the problems they encountered during the implementation. The participants in this study consisted of 17 social studies teachers from 12 primary schools (selected out of 39 primary schools in the city of Kirsehir through simple random sampling) in the 2011-2012 academic year. Phenomenology, one of the qualitative research methods, was used to collect the data. In addition, a semi-structured interview was conducted that consisted of seven open-ended questions. Inductive analysis, one of the content analysis types, was employed to analyze the data obtained in the research. The findings show that the social studies teachers defined value by terms such as "esteem," " human beings," " social norms," " social citizens," and " national and moral elements," all of which are closely related to their dictionary meaning. Such responses reveal that the teachers were not completely aware of the definition of value and values education. In addition, the teachers preferred that the students learn about values, such as " respect," " sensitivity," and " responsibility," and that family and teachers are the most effective factors in values education. These are followed by the environment in which the students grow, the school itself, and other related factors. Finally, although the teachers aimed to become role models in values education, one of the most significant issues was that families were inadequately prepared for such education.