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The purpose of this study was to determine which of the input and output variables made a statistically significant difference in the efficiency status of undergraduate departments offering Health Management education in Turkey, to identify areas where inefficient departments could improve, and to determine which of the input and output variables made a statistically significant difference in the efficiency status of inefficient departments. The output-oriented data envelopment analysis model was employed in the efficiency analysis. As a decision-making unit, there were 43 Health Management departments. Mann-Whitney U test was used to analyse whether or not there was a statistically significant difference between the efficiencies of the departments based on the input and output variables. In Turkey, 15 of 43 state universities providing formal undergraduate education in the field of Health Management are fully efficient. Also, there was a significant difference in terms of the "number of completed projects" and the "number of papers in journals screened within the scope of Web of Science Core Collection (WOSCC)" variables. No study examining the efficiency of Health Management departments has been found in the literature. Department administrators are encouraged to increase their publications and look into ways to design more initiatives.

Likert-type item is the most popular response format for collecting data in social, educational, and psychological studies through scales or questionnaires. However, there is no consensus on whether parametric or non-parametric tests should be preferred when analyzing Likert-type data. This study examined the statistical power of parametric and non-parametric tests when each Likert-type item was analyzed independently in survey studies. The main purpose of the study is to examine the statistical power of Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney, Welch's t, and Student's t tests for Likert-type data, which are pairwise comparison tests. For this purpose, a Monte Carlo simulation study was conducted. The statistical significance of the selected tests was examined under the conditions of sample size, group size ratio, and effect size. The results showed that the Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test was superior to its counterparts, especially for small samples and unequal group sizes. However, the Student's t-test for Likert-type data had similar statistical power to the Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test under conditions of equal group sizes when the sample size was 200 or more. Consistent with the empirical results, practical recommendations were provided for researchers on what to consider when collecting and analyzing Likert-type data.

This study aims at highlighting the relationship between mastery learning models and academic performance in mathematics, moderated by the number of hours allotted to studying mathematics. There are 305 first to eighth-grade students who learn at "Nae A. Ghica Middle School" in Romania. Students in sixth, seventh, and eighth grades (n=101) were selected to participate in this research because they study both algebra and geometry. We have used purposive sampling to control certain variables, i.e., mastery learning strategies and academic performance. The data were analyzed in Jamovi (2022). The level of performance was measured according to the progress students made. Data analysis revealed that the moderation effect of the time each student allocated to studying mathematics individually is not statistically significant in the relationship between the mastery learning model and academic performance in mathematics. This study was conducted on a small number of students, so it is recommended to be expanded on a larger scale.

The performance of White students and Hispanic students from California, Texas, and Arizona on the advanced placement (AP) biology exam was compared using archival data from the College Board from 2016 through 2019. Pearson Chi-square tests yielded statistically significant differences in all 4 year comparisons of white and Hispanic students in all three states. White students from California had the highest percentage of students earn a 3 or higher for all 4 years, Arizona had the second highest percentage of white students earn a 3 or higher for all 4 years, and Texas had the lowest percentage of white students earn a 3 or higher for all 4 years of comparison. Hispanic students from Arizona had the highest percentage of students earn a 3 or higher for all 4 years, California had the second highest percentage of Hispanic students earn a 3 or higher for all 4 years, and Texas had the lowest percentage of Hispanic students earn a 3 or higher for all 4 years of comparison. It was discovered a majority of White students who took an AP biology exam, from 2016 to 2019, earned a passing score (3 or higher), while the majority of Hispanic students who took an AP Biology exam failed to earn a passing score (3 or higher), that would result in college credit. Implications of these findings are discussed.

To detect differential item functioning (DIF), Rasch trees search for optimal split-points in covariates and identify subgroups of respondents in a data-driven way. To determine whether and in which covariate a split should be performed, Rasch trees use statistical significance tests. Consequently, Rasch trees are more likely to label small DIF effects as significant in larger samples. This leads to larger trees, which split the sample into more subgroups. What would be more desirable is an approach that is driven more by effect size rather than sample size. In order to achieve this, we suggest to implement an additional stopping criterion: the popular Educational Testing Service (ETS) classification scheme based on the Mantel-Haenszel odds ratio. This criterion helps us to evaluate whether a split in a Rasch tree is based on a substantial or an ignorable difference in item parameters, and it allows the Rasch tree to stop growing when DIF between the identified subgroups is small. Furthermore, it supports identifying DIF items and quantifying DIF effect sizes in each split. Based on simulation results, we conclude that the Mantel-Haenszel effect size further reduces unnecessary splits in Rasch trees under the null hypothesis, or when the sample size is large but DIF effects are negligible. To make the stopping criterion easy-to-use for applied researchers, we have implemented the procedure in the statistical software R. Finally, we discuss how DIF effects between different nodes in a Rasch tree can be interpreted and emphasize the importance of purification strategies for the Mantel-Haenszel procedure on tree stopping and DIF item classification.

We investigate two non-iterative estimation procedures for Rasch models, the pair-wise estimation procedure (PAIR) and the Eigenvector method (EVM), and identify theoretical issues with EVM for rating scale model (RSM) threshold estimation. We develop a new procedure to resolve these issues--the conditional pairwise adjacent thresholds procedure (CPAT)--and test the methods using a large number of simulated datasets to compare the estimates against known generating parameters. We find support for our hypotheses, in particular that EVM threshold estimates suffer from theoretical issues which lead to biased estimates and that CPAT represents a means of resolving these issues. These findings are both statistically significant (p < 0.001) and of a large effect size. We conclude that CPAT deserves serious consideration as a conditional, computationally efficient approach to Rasch parameter estimation for the RSM. CPAT has particular potential for use in contexts where computational load may be an issue, such as systems with multiple online algorithms and large test banks with sparse data designs.

It is time to reform the quantitative methods courses in leadership programs -- typically, these are statistics courses with arcane statistics textbooks. There is growing evidence that these "rigorous" scientific methods actually mislead practice because the vast majority of practices found to be "effective" or "evidence-based" using these methods do not work in schools -- including those validated by the federal What Works Clearinghouse. Fortunately, there are other quantitative methods that are more intuitive, and more accessible to leaders, leadership students, and leadership faculty -- methods that are more relevant for improving practice and identifying "evidence-based" practices that are likely to actually improve schools. However, those who control the content of quantitative methods courses tend to be those with the most technical expertise in the traditional methods and will oppose any methodological alternatives as being "non-rigorous." The newer quantitative methods will not be emphasized in EdD and Masters programs until all leadership faculty exert greater voice on the content of such courses. A first step is to stop calling quantitative methods courses "Statistics" courses. They should be "Applied Quantitative Methods" courses. This non-technical article (a) outlines the problems with traditional statistics, (b) highlights some of the newer and simpler quantitative methods that are more relevant for improving schools, and (c) describes an alternative textbook as a key resource for transforming the quantitative methods course.

The present study aimed at clarifying the various shortcomings of the Cohen's criteria for the interpretation of the values of the practical significance indicators. The hypothetical data were used for two experimental and control groups and calculating the paired-samples t-test. To clarify the inadequacy of Cohen's criteria in interpreting practical significance indicators, it was compared with another criterion which is Black's Modified Gain Ratio. Through the compatibility of mathematical equations to calculate the practical significance and the values of the interpretations of the correlation coefficient, the present study suggested that a criterion for the practical significance should be as follows: small when the values of the index (d) are less than (0.631), medium when the values are between 0.631 and 1.50 and large when the values are equal to or greater than (1.51). The study showed the justifications that distinguish this criterion from the Cohen criterion.

This study aimed to recognize the differences in multiple intelligences among the students of Jordan University of Science and Technology with its relationship to gender, academic year, and achievement. The study sample consisted of 349 male and female participants. It used a descriptive analysis, the MacKenzie scale for multiple intelligences, which consisted of 9 dimensions and 10 paragraphs per dimension. According to its findings, the average range for all domains of multiple intelligences was 3.70. This value implied that the average students' responses were accepted. It showed there was not any statistically significant differences at x [greater than or equal to] 0.05 in the students' results which could be attributed to gender and academic year. Also, there were not statistically significant differences at x [greater than or equal to] 0.05 in the students' results for the musical and existential dimension attributed to achievement and there were statistically significant differences for the other dimensions.

Formal empirical assessments of replication have recently become more prominent in several areas of science, including psychology. These assessments have used different statistical approaches to determine if a finding has been replicated. The purpose of this article is to provide several alternative conceptual frameworks that lead to different statistical analyses to test hypotheses about replication. All of these analyses are based on statistical methods used in meta-analysis. The differences among the methods described involve whether the burden of proof is placed on replication or nonreplication, whether replication is exact or allows for a small amount of "negligible heterogeneity," and whether the studies observed are assumed to be fixed (constituting the entire body of relevant evidence) or are a sample from a universe of possibly relevant studies. The statistical power of each of these tests is computed and shown to be low in many cases, raising issues of the interpretability of tests for replication.

We discuss problems the null hypothesis significance testing (NHST) paradigm poses for replication and more broadly in the biomedical and social sciences as well as how these problems remain unresolved by proposals involving modified p-value thresholds, confidence intervals, and Bayes factors. We then discuss our own proposal, which is to abandon statistical significance. We recommend dropping the NHST paradigm--and the p-value thresholds intrinsic to it--as the default statistical paradigm for research, publication, and discovery in the biomedical and social sciences. Specifically, we propose that the p-value be demoted from its threshold screening role and instead, treated continuously, be considered along with currently subordinate factors (e.g., related prior evidence, plausibility of mechanism, study design and data quality, real world costs and benefits, novelty of finding, and other factors that vary by research domain) as just one among many pieces of evidence. We have no desire to "ban" p-values or other purely statistical measures. Rather, we believe that such measures should not be thresholded and that, thresholded or not, they should not take priority over the currently subordinate factors. We also argue that it seldom makes sense to calibrate evidence as a function of p-values or other purely statistical measures. We offer recommendations for how our proposal can be implemented in the scientific publication process as well as in statistical decision making more broadly.

A growing segment of the U.S. workforce--older workers--face challenges such as a greater chance of being unemployed for a longer period of time than younger workers and skill obsolescence in contemporary societies. In an age of fast-paced economic and technological change, ongoing investment in human capital in the form of skill training represents a potential strategy for improving older workers' employment prospects. However, empirical evidence is lacking on the relationship between basic skill competencies and employment outcomes for older workers in general. This study analyzed nationally representative data of adults aged 45 to 65 years (n = 2,169) from the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies. Literacy skills were used as the main measure of competencies. Results from multinomial logistic regression identified statistically significant positive associations between literacy skills and employment among older workers. Implications for research, policy, and practice are discussed.

This study aims to develop a competitiveness assessment index for global aviation training organizations. The study utilizes the four factors of the Diamond model developed by Michael Porter. To select candidate indices, expert consultations were made, and two stages of Delphi survey were conducted on 24 experts in the area of global aviation training and education. Finally, 19 indices were selected for analysis. In order to assess the reliability of the final indices and justify selection, an empirical study was conducted with 100 participants, yielding statistically significant results. The 19 indices were organized into a three-level hierarchy system, and an analytical hierarchy process (AHP) was conducted to evaluate the importance of each index. The results of the AHP indicated that 'quality of instructors' was the most important index, followed by 'feedback from trainees for the course (level of satisfaction with the course)' and 'director's management skills and leadership'. This study will contribute to enhancing the competitiveness of global aviation training organizations.

Existential intelligence is often neglected in literature, especially at the tertiary level. Therefore this study aims to identify the degree of existential intelligence in a sample of graduate students at the World Islamic Sciences University in Jordan. In addition, the study aims to find out whether this degree differs according to a number of variables. The study sample comprised 56 male and female Faculty of Educational Sciences graduate students of 2017/2018 academic year. In order to achieve the objectives of the study, existential intelligence scale was used after the scale's validity and reliability was examined. The results indicated that the total degree of existential intelligence among graduate students at the Faculty of Educational Sciences at World Islamic Sciences University was average (medium). Furthermore, the results revealed that there were no statistically significant differences in the degree of existential intelligence due to gender, specialization and years of experience, marital status, and work position variables at the significance level of p = 0.05.

This study aimed to identify the attitudes of university faculty members and students towards the use of the Learning Management System (LMS) in teaching and learning. The descriptive analytical approach was used, and the data were collected using two different tools constructed by the researchers. The first is related to the attitudes of faculty members towards the use of the Learning Management System in teaching, and the other is linked to the students' attitudes towards using the Learning Management System in learning. The sample included 95 university faculty members and 307 students. Calculation Means, standard deviations and ANOVA were calculated. The study revealed that the attitudes of university faculty members and students towards using the Learning Management System in teaching and learning were positive. The results showed statistically significant differences in the attitudes of university faculty members due to gender and in favor of the males. The results did not show significant statistical differences due to the faculty members' experience and the academic track. The results also indicated that there were no statistically significant differences in students' attitudes towards using the Learning Management System in learning due to their gender. Nonetheless, the results indicated that there were statistically significant differences in students' attitudes due to the academic year and for the first-year students. The positive attitudes were decreasing as the years gradually progressed. The results also evidenced differences of statistical significance in students' attitudes towards the Learning Management System attributed to the academic track and for the benefit of applied and humanities studies and then the medical track and finally the engineering track. In the light of these findings, the researchers recommended intensive training of university faculty members and students in the employment of the Learning Management System in an optimal way to increase its effectiveness in teaching and learning. They also pressed the need for conducting further studies on the impediments facing the parties in the use of the Learning Management System and revealing the ways to solve them.

The aim of this study is twofold. First, it aims to investigate the impact of the Flipped Classroom (FC) Model on students' academic achievement. Second, it reveals the students' opinions about the model itself. For four weeks, the students in the experimental group were taught in a blended learning context where the FC Model was applied, while the lessons in the control group were carried out through traditional blended learning. Both groups were administered a test before and after the Flipped Classroom sessions. To analyze the data, a two-way ANOVA for Mixed Measures was conducted to compare the means of test scores of each group. The results showed that there were no statistically significant differences between the scores of the two groups. Coming to classes prepared and completing the assignments in class, so that students did not need to do assignments at home, were among the positive aspects of the FC Model. The problems encountered in this model, however, are categorized under three main titles: Motivation, Content, and Learning. At the end of the study, the advantages and disadvantages of the FC Model are identified in accordance with the participants' opinions, and necessary suggestions made.

In recent years, researchers have shown an increased interest in learner styles as one of the key factors influencing learning generally. During the last decade we have also noticed rapid advances in the field of technology enhanced learning and growing trend towards its application in formal education. Introduction of different forms of e-learning (e.g. computer assisted learning, blended learning, massive online open courses (MOOCs), etc.) has become reality at most universities. The principal objective of the research presented in the study was to find out whether learning styles of students and the form of teaching generate interaction effects on their learning achievements. Grasha-Riechmann Student Learning Style Scales (GRSLSS) inventory was applied to define the learner styles of the sample subjects and pedagogical quasi experiment was conducted within the period of one semester. The research used a convenience sample of 81 fifth year university students (pre-service English language teachers) split into control (n = 55) and experimental (n = 27) groups. The results of a two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed no significant findings. The results indicate that the learning styles and form of teaching have no effect on academic achievement.

The study aimed to investigate the effects of project-based learning on student teacher self-efficacy and achievement. This study used a quasi-experimental research design with pre-test and post-test control groups. The study sample consisted of 79 students, 42 in the control group and 37 in the experimental group. To collect data, two instruments were used: Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale and Academic Achievement Test. The results showed that statistically significant differences between experimental and control group in self-efficacy and achievement score due to the Project-Based Learning in favor of the experimental group. Based on the results, the researchers recommended adopting the Project-Based Learning in teaching and learning situations, besides conducting more studies to verify the use of Project-Based Learning versus traditional methods in Arab countries.

In this study, the job satisfaction levels of teachers working with individuals in need of special education were examined with regard to certain variables. General survey model was used in the study and the study group of this research was comprised of teachers from all over Turkey who work at special education schools, integration and special education classrooms. The job satisfaction scale developed by Sahin (1999) was used in the study. The scale was developed using Google and administered online on December 08, 2017 and December 30, 2017. A total of 465 teachers participated in the study. SPSS 22 software was used for data analysis. Besides, descriptive statistics, independent sample t-test and one-way ANOVA test were used for data analysis. As for the results of the study, while no statistically significant difference was found in terms of gender, number of working years, considered income level, and age, statistically significant differences were observed according to salary, receiving support from colleagues, receiving praise from administrators, finding working at special education schools convenient variables.

This study aims to examine the World Islamic Sciences and Education University students' attitude toward the inclusion of handicapped students within the university environment. The sample of the study consists of 247 male and female undergraduate students of the World Islamic and Education University at the academic year 2017/2018. To achieve the objectives of the study, a valid and reliable scale of World Islamic University students' attitudes toward special needs students' inclusion in campus was prepared and applied. The data analysis revealed that the level of the attitudes of World Islamic University students toward handicapped students' inclusion within campus was medium. The study findings revealed that there was a statistically significant difference in the participants' attitudes toward the handicapped inclusion in the mainstream of World Islamic University based on gender in favor of male students; and there were statistically significant differences based on academic level in favor of third and fourth year students regarding the inclusion of handicapped in the mainstream campus. In addition, there is a statistically significant difference in students' attitudes based on faculty variable. The study findings revealed there are no statistically significant differences in students' attitude based on social status variable.

This study was conducted to determine the effects of I Can Problem Solve Program (ICPS) on preschool children's perspective taking skills. Participants were 51 children who were attending two public preschool. In the study, pretest-posttest-retention test control group desing was used. There were an experimental group and two control groups in the study. As data collection tool, "Perspective Taking Test for Children (PTC)" was utilized. Firstly, PTC was applied to children as pretest. Then "I Can Problem Solve Program" was applied to children in experimental group. Children in control groups were attend the regular program. After the completing the program application PTC was implemented to experimental group and control groups as posttest. Finally, PTC was applied to experimental group as retention test after a month of posttest. At the end of the study, it was determined that I Can Problem Solve Program had a significant impact on children's perspective taking skills. There was a statistically significant difference between experimental group and control groups in posttest, while there was no difference between the groups in prettest. Children in experimental group performed better than children in control groups in posttest. Moreover, there was no significant difference in experimental group's scores between posttest and retention test scores.

Teacher-mediated classroom assessment might have significant impacts on learners' academic achievements and teachers' development. The current study investigated teachers' assessment literacy and its impact on their current assessment practices and learners' writing outcomes. The study sought to gain an understanding of the extent to which teachers' assessment literacy affects their practices and their learners' outcomes. To conduct the study and gather the required data, the researchers employed teachers' assessment literacy inventory, semi-structured interview, non-participatory observation, and Writing Competence Rating Scale (WCRS). Ten male EFL instructors and 75 male sophomores from Iranian EFL contexts were selected from four language schools in Iran. The results of the study indicated that teachers' assessment literacy has a statistically significant impact on learners' writing achievements and teachers' assessment awareness leads teaching environments into effective and motivated assessment design. These findings suggest language educators considering teachers' assessment awareness in their teacher education programs.

The Florida College and Career Readiness Initiative (FCCRI) was a statewide policy requiring college readiness testing and participation in college readiness courses for high school students. We used regression discontinuity to compare outcomes for students scoring just above and below test score cutoffs for assignment to FCCRI. We also examined impacts for students from a wider range of academic performance by using a before-after regression analysis to compare outcomes for targeted students before and after their schools implemented the FCCRI. The FCCRI increased the likelihood of enrolling in nondevelopmental courses for some targeted students, although results differ by academic performance. However, smaller differences in the likelihood of passing nondevelopmental courses suggest that some students were not prepared for these courses.

The aim of this research is to investigate the effect of playing soccer for a long time in for professional soccer players regarding sole pressure. Despite the increasing prevalence of new methods developed in the footpad pressure measurement in recent years, our knowledge about pressure distribution of the footplate is still insufficient, especially for sportsmen (Ford et al., 2006). Plantar pressure analysis system (EMED-SF) was used in the study. Statistically significant differences between the study groups were examined using the non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test. According to the results of the research, there was no statistical difference between the experimental and control groups in terms of physical characteristics. However, significant results were found at (0.01-0.05) level in the beginning and grand total of heel medial, heel lateral, 1,2,3,4,5 metatars in the maximal force comparisons applied to the right and left foot contact area and the floor.

The faith-based identity of Catholic schools is increasingly problematic in a secularised society where the numbers of teachers belonging to religious orders are diminishing rapidly. Teachers' views regarding the characteristics of Catholic schools are an important aspect of the identity of such schools. The authors locate Catholic schools in the USA and Queensland, Australia, in their respective contexts and compare teachers' ratings of the importance of eleven given characteristics of Catholic schools as seen by 3,389 teachers in USA Catholic schools and 2,287 teachers in Queensland Catholic schools. When the mean ratings for each jurisdiction were statistically correlated, USA teachers were much more likely to rate these given characteristics as essential and the resulting ?[superscript 2] and associated Odds Ratio values indicated very statistically significant jurisdictional differences. Some tentative explanations are suggested including the differing political contexts, the conditions of teachers' employment and the support structures for the spiritual and faith formation of teachers in the respective jurisdictions.

In the present study, hierarchical linear modeling with random intercept models was used to estimate the impact school and teacher-level factors had on K-12 teachers' perceptions of school influence, curricular and pedagogical autonomy, and job satisfaction in the early years of the Race to the Top Era. The main predictors investigated were whether students' standardized test scores were used as a component of either a teacher's formal teacher evaluation or compensation, as well as whether teachers worked in a Race to the Top state. Additional school- and teacher-level predictors included percentage minority teachers and students, urbanicity of the school, teacher grade band, years teaching experience, and annual base salary. The study's findings include statistically significantly yet small, negative correlations between teaching in a RTTT Phase I or II state at the time of the survey and teachers' perceptions of their school-level influence, curricular autonomy, and pedagogical autonomy. In addition, the use of SGM measures in teacher evaluation, compensation, or both, statistically significantly negatively predicted both teachers' pedagogical and curricular autonomy, as well as job satisfaction. These findings are consistent with previous studies that found teachers' classroom autonomy and job satisfaction to be lessened post-NCLB (Crocco & Costigan, 2007; Faulker & Cook, 2006; Huss & Eastep, 2011).

Review of literature suggests that issues in English language policies (ELPs) in higher education foreign language department levels have not been addressed, and the relationship between beliefs about general notions of ELPs and gender has been disregarded. The current study investigates gender-related differences in beliefs on five main notions of ELPs among staff members in Saudi Arabian English departments. An online survey was administered to staff members in different Saudi English departments from different regions in Saudi Arabia. Five general statements on ELPs were included in the survey and were responded to by male (n = 67) and female (n = 143) staff members (total = 210). Pearson's chi-square test of independence and the calculated percentages of responses were used to analyze gender differences. No statistically significant differences were found between male and female participants, with the exception of one statement. Both genders had generally similar beliefs on ELPs. Moreover, the female staff had slightly stronger beliefs than the male staff, and males showed more hesitation than females did when deciding on ELP matters. The study also discusses the implications of the findings and provided recommendations for future research.

As part of the Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program, we investigated how early morning physical activity affects elementary school students' physical fitness and sociality. Seventy-five boys in 6th grade of one elementary school located in G Metropolitan City, Korea comprised the experimental group that participated in early morning physical activity for 6 months. The control group did not perform said activities. Experimental design for this study adopted pre- and post-measurement and comparison methods between groups. Collected data were analyzed with analyses of covariance and Bonferroni post-hoc tests. The experimental group showed significant differences in the improvement of cardiorespiratory endurance and muscle strength among the sub-elements of physical fitness compared to controls. They also showed significant differences in the development of sociability, activity, autonomy, stability, and dominance among the sub-factors of sociality compared to controls. We elucidated the importance of early morning physical activity performed before school, which has implications for schools' physical education programs.

Much literature has presented evidence that supplemental digital resources enhance student performance with mathematics. The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of a web-adaptive digital resource, Think Through Math©, on student performance with state-mandated annual standardized mathematics assessments. This study utilized a quantitative research design and conducted multiple regression analyses among 723 students from a north Texas school district that showed high-levels of use with Think Through Math© during the 2015-2016 school year. Data from Think Through Math© reports and annual standardized mathematics assessments were collected and analyzed from elementary, intermediate, junior high, and high school campus levels. Results of the multiple regression analyses were reported for each campus level, as well as several statistically significant and positive associations.

The authorial stance in academic genres is conveyed with the use of linguistic conventions of disciplines, one of which is metadiscourse. The aim of this study was to compare the use of interactional metadiscourse features (IMDMs) by native academic authors of English (NAAEs) and Turkish-speaking academic authors of English (TAAEs) for the construal of their stance in their doctoral dissertations. In a corpus of 120 doctoral dissertations, IMDMs were analyzed according to Hyland's (2005) taxonomy by using Wordsmith Tools 6.0. Log likelihood statistics was conducted to see whether there was a statistically significant difference between these two groups in their use of IMDMs in terms of frequency and variety. A statistically significant underuse of IMDMs by Turkish-speaking academic authors of English regarding the overall use of 5 subcategories of IMDMs was found.

Semi-formal learning is used to describe learning that is directed towards the goals of a formal learning institution but outside of the learning structure of a specific class. Students studying online may form semi-formal groups to increase their knowledge of the content by interacting with other learners taking the same class. This study of cyber university students (n = 2042) involved looking at the relationship between semi-formal learning groups and levels of germane load. Furthermore, this study sought to understand what role group work plays in moderating the relationship between motivation and germane load. This study found that highly motivated students had higher levels of germane load, and that group work negatively moderated that relationship. In other words, while all students benefited from group work, students with lower levels of motivation benefited more than students with high levels of motivation. This research fills an important gap by showing the value this type of group work can have for all learners, particularly those who may otherwise struggle.

The study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a computer program based on Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation and Evaluation (ADDIE) Model on the achievement of Ninth Graders' listening and Reading Comprehension Skills in English. The study sample comprised 70 ninth graders during the second semester of the academic year 2016/2017. The selected students were distributed into two groups: an experimental group and a control one. A computer program based on Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation and Evaluation (ADDIE) was prepared, and a 40-item listening test in addition to a 40-item reading comprehension test were designed according to modules outcomes which were presented in (Teachers' Book Action Pack 9). Validity and reliability were ensured for both tests. The results showed a statistically significance difference at (a = 0.05) between the mean scores of the control compared to the experimental group on both tests (listening achievement test and reading comprehension achievement test) due to the independent variable implementing a computerized program based on ADDIE Model in favor of the experimental group.

The purpose of the study was to determine the effect of two contrasting pedagogies (i.e., experiential learning and direct instruction) on students' retention of agricultural knowledge over time. A six-week deferred post-test was employed to assess long-term retention of the subject matter. The results indicated that initially, students who were taught both experientially and through direct instruction experienced a statistically significant increase in analytical scores, with the direct instruction treatment group outperforming the experiential learning treatment group. However, that increase was not statistically significant but was followed by a statistically significant decrease in analytical scores six weeks following instruction. Implications exist for preparing instructors to pace their lessons in a slower fashion to increase understanding and mastery of the content learned.

The technological developments that have directed 21st century skills have brought new content and dimension to narrative by integrating story narration, one of the earliest verbal narrative skills of mankind, with digital technology. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of web-based digital story preparation on the literacy self-efficacy perceptions of Turkish teacher candidates in the digital media using pre-test, post-test, experimental-control group and semi-experimental design. A total of 60 teacher candidates, including 30 experimental groups and 30 control groups attending to the Teaching Principles and Methods Course in Mersin University Education Faculty Turkish Education Department participated in the study in 2016-2017 academic year. The research data were collected by the "Digital Media-Oriented Literacy Self-Efficacy Scale" developed by the researchers. As a result of the study, Digital Media-Oriented Literacy Self-Efficacy levels were observed to increased in both groups. However, a statistically significant difference was found only between pre-test and post-test scores of the self-efficacy perceptions of the Turkish teacher candidates who prepared a web-based digital story in the cooperative learning approach. It is suggested regarding the results of the study that in other studies, digital storytelling approach can be utilized by taking into consideration the content of both field and cultural courses, and also that researchers can investigate the effects of digital storytelling in terms of various variables.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between sprint and jump performance with velocity parameters in the loaded-squat jump exercise (SQ[subscript Loaded]). In accordance with this purpose, a total of 13 athletes competing in martial sports have participated in this study voluntarily. In this study, sprint tests, vertical jump (VJ), standing long jump (SLJ) tests and one repetition maximal strength test were applied. In order to determine velocity and power parameters, SQ[subscript Loaded] exercise was applied by using an external load that corresponds to 40% of body weights of the subjects via an isoinertial velocity transducer (T-Force dynamic measurement system) and values of mean propulsive velocity (MPV), peak velocity (PV), mean propulsive power (MPP) and peak power (PP) were obtained. Descriptive statistics, Spearman correlation analysis and Shapiro-Wilk normality tests were used for data assessment. It has been concluded that there is no statistically significant relation between 10, 20 and 30 meter sprint times and the values of MPV (r.= -0.332; r.= -0.375; r.= -0.446; p>0.05 respectively), PV (r = -0.058; r = -0.118; r = -0.165; p>0.05 respectively), MPP (r = -0.285; r = -0.482; r = -0.485; p>0.05 respectively) and PP (r = -0.205; r = -0.512; r = -0.391; p>0.05 respectively) during SQ[subscript Loaded] exercise. In addition, while no statistically significant relation has been obtained between the VJ and SLJ values of the participants and MPV (r = 0.496; r = 0.429; p>0.05 respectively) and PV (r = 0.300; r = 0.223; p>0.05 respectively) values during propulsive stage of SQ[subscript Loaded] exercise, it has been ascertained that there is a statistically positive and significant relation between the values of MPP (r = 0.620; r = 0.580; p>0.05 respectively) and PP (r = 0.678; r = 0.572; p<0.05 respectively). In conclusion, it can be suggested that lifting velocity and power values don't have a positive effect on short sprint performance; however power values affect the vertical jump and standing long jump performances positively.

The purpose of this study is to compare the repeated sprint ability of amateur footbal players according to age and playing positions. For this purpose, 174 young amateur soccer players (age: 17.2 ± 1.8 years, height: 175.8 ± 7.5 cm, weight: 67.0 ± 9.8 kg) struggling in different playing positions participated voluntarily to the study. The players divided into six categories as goalkeepers (n: 16; age: 17.4 ± 1.4 years, height: 181.9 ± 6.1 cm, weight: 77.4 ± 9.8 kg), central defenders (n: 30; age: 16.9 ± 1.9 years, height: 179.3 ± 8.2 weight: 69.5 ± 11.2 kg), full-backs (n: 34; age: 17.3 ± 1.9 years, height: 174.9 ± 5.9 cm, weight: 66.6 ± 7.8 kg), central midfielders (n: 36; age: 17.9 ± 1,6 years; height: 174.3 ± 7.1 cm; weight: 67.1 ± 9.3 kg), wide midfielders (n: 30; age: 16.8 ± 1.6 years, height: 171.5 ± 5.1 cm, weight: 60.8 ± 7.4 kg) and forwards (n: 28; age: 16.6 ± 1.9 years, height: 175.9 ± 8.3 cm, weight: 65.6 ± 8.0 kg). In the study, a repeated sprint test was used to determine the repeated sprint ability of the football players, with an in field 34.2 meter long sprint run and a 25 second rest period after each run. In evaluating the data; descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used. According to the analysis results; the best test time (BTT), mean test time (MTT), and total test time (TTT) values in the repeated sprint test showed a statistically significant difference according to playing positions and age factor (p<0.05); On the other hand, fatigue index (FI) value showed a statistically significant difference according to playing positions (p<.05), but it didn't show any significant difference according to age (p>0.05). As a result, it can be argued that repeated sprint ability differs according to age and playing positions.

This study is an attempt to identify the level of awareness of safety measures practiced in school laboratories among pre-service Science teachers at Najran University. It also aims to identify the sources of safety measures awareness and the statistically significant differences among the sample responses due to specialization and grade variables. To achieve the study objectives, a scale of (43) questions prepared and applied to a sample of (49) students. The scale covers the following aspects: Laboratory risk management, proper laboratory practices and first aid for laboratory injuries, in addition to a question about the sources of safety measures awareness. Results concluded that the awareness level of safety measures among pre-service Science teachers was low. There were statistically significant differences among the sample responses due to specialization, in favor of chemistry, and grade in favor of higher grades. The sources of safety measures awareness include undergraduate courses, faculty members, the laboratory safety manual, and websites.

Scenario-based learning is an approach for student-centered learning used in the medical and legal fields, but is little used in liberal arts. In this study, I examine students' understanding and application of audience-centered writing techniques after a semester of formal scenario-based essays and problem-based activities. Comparing the grades of two experimental groups and one control group showed consistently higher class averages in the two experimental groups exposed to the problem-based scenarios, averages one to two letter grades higher than that of the control group. The findings also revealed increased critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making. The summative assessment was grant funded and used the Collegiate Learning Assessment Plus (CLA+). The final results of the study yielded significance.