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This study was conducted to reveal primary school students' perceptions of 21st-century learning practices. A quantitative research design was adopted in this study. Research data were collected from appropriate sampling 622 4th-grade students attending public schools in a city center located in the central region of Turkey. "Students' Perception of 21st Century Learning Practices Scale" was administrated as data collection tool. In the analysis of the obtained data, t test and regression analysis are used. It was concluded that students' perceptions towards thinking skills were above average in the sub-dimensions of critical thinking, creative thinking, and authentic problem solving and knowledge creation efficiency. As a result of t-tests it was concluded that the educational status of the father, having preschool education and having a computer differ significantly according to some sub-dimensions. As a result of the regression analysis, it was concluded that the variables based on Chai et al. (2015) that explain the knowledge creation efficacy are creative thinking, authentic problem solving, self-directed learning and critical thinking. The study results showed that providing rich learning practices related to teaching thinking skills to students creates positive learning outcomes. This research results also indicated that the students participating in the study had similar perceptions with the students who had rich learning practices.

The present study aimed to discuss the development of an educational digital game for Turkish language instruction as a second language to foreign primary school students. First, the correlation between digital games and education was discussed, the learning and motivational theories fundamental to the educational digital games were investigated, the educational digital game design models and educational digital games in second language instruction were addressed. Finally, the development of the educational digital game "Journey to Turkish", which was based on the spiral educational game design model for the instruction of Turkish language to foreign primary school students, was detailed. The "Journey to Turkish" game was developed in four stages: analysis, design, development-implementation and evaluation; the process was based on the constructivist learning theory and social cognitive learning approach, a cognitive learning theory, flow theory, a motivational theory, and ARCS-V model. The game "Journey to Turkish," a three-dimensional, single player, task-based role-playing game was developed on the Unity 3D platform. The game includes seven stages, each part corresponds to the themes in the Turkish A1 language level. In the game, the player visits seven cities, namely Eskisehir, Çanakkale, Nevsehir, Konya, Adiyaman, Izmir and Istanbul, and collects certain cultural items by completing reading and writing tasks.

This study aims to scrutinize the effects of gamified Turkish vocabulary teaching on vocabulary development, and motivation on learning words. A nested mixed-method experimental design (gamification-based vocabulary learning for the experimental group instructor-led vocabulary learning for the control group) and was conducted with 34 fourth-grade students. Data were collected using the Vocabulary Achievement Test (VAT) and the Vocabulary Learning Motivation Scale (VLMS), interview forms, diaries and activity notebooks, video recordings, and researchers' diaries. Significant differences were found between the pretest and posttest scores of the gamification-based and instructor-led vocabulary learning groups measuring vocabulary achievements and motivation. There were considerable differences in favor of the experimental group between mean pretest and posttest scores of the experimental and control groups for vocabulary achievement, whereas no significant differences were found in terms of motivation. It was found that experimental group's vocabulary achievement, awareness and competencies were improved; as well as their willingness and motivation to engage in vocabulary learning, use of previously unknown words, vocabulary development, and embracing of the gamification application and its components, and also showed indicators of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. On the other hand, quantitative results of the control group were at acceptable levels, although their qualitative results were poorer in terms of generating themes and being able to evaluate learning progress. The study was concluded with recommendations for practitioners and future research.

The objective of the present study is to determine the effect of the process of designing a slowmation (SMA) on the development of 21st century skills of "learning and innovation" in 4th grade science class "Light and Sound" and "Planet Earth" units. Study group included 44 students attending 4th grade in two private schools in Southeastern Anatolia region. Four female and five male, a total of nine focus students were determined in the study group where the application was implemented. The study was conducted in 17 weeks (51 periods), out of which six weeks spanned the pre-application process and the application lasted for 11 weeks. Different data collection tools such as video records, semi-structured interviews, group audio recordings, 21st century learning and innovation skills scale r and student diaries were used to collect data in the study. Quantitative data were analyzed and interpreted using SPSS software. Qualitative data were analyzed with descriptive analysis. Overall results of the study demonstrated that slowmation application resulted in the development of 21st century learning and innovation skills, namely creativity and innovation, critical thinking and problem solving, collaboration and communication skills.

The aim of this qualitative study is to reveal the condition involved in teaching Turkish as a second language to Syrian refugees. Participants were selected using a criterion-based sampling technique; they were six (6) instructors and forty (40) Syrian students. The data of the research were compiled using open-ended questionnaire developed by the researchers for the students, and semi-structure interview developed for the instructors. It was revealed that the students have problems mastering basic language skills (especially speaking and listening), the teaching materials are inadequate and physical environment is not conducive. Moreover, it appears that the students have problems in using and pronouncing certain vowels, the confuse letters, and use words in figurative sense. It has also been revealed that the teachers use the same practices, render feedback-correction, and have difficulty in teaching due to lack of right curriculum, the courses being above the students' levels, and nonfunctional course equipment. The participants underlined that camp and class environments need to be improved, that students should be given greater opportunities to communicate with native Turkish speakers, audiovisual materials need to be improved, teachers need to be aware of the students' psychological conditions, teachers should be very versed in at least two languages, and teachers need to be trained extensively.

The objective of the present study was to determine the impact of authentic task-based authentic material on reading comprehension, writing skills and writing motivation in the Turkish language course. The study was conducted with mixed design methodology. Quantitative data were collected with the quasi-experimental with pre-test post-test with control group design in the study. Qualitative data were collected with a semi-structured interview form. The study was conducted in a primary school located in Eskisehir urban center during the 2014-2015 academic year spring semester. The experiment group included 22 students and the control group included 24 students. The data were collected with Reading Comprehension Test (Bulut, 2013), Writing Motivation Scale (Öztürk, 2013), Writing Skills Scale (Uysal, 2009), and a semi-structured interview form. Analysis of the quantitative data was conducted with independent samples t-test and qualitative data were analyzed with descriptive analysis. Study findings demonstrated that use of authentic task-based authentic material in the Turkish language course improved the reading comprehension, writing skills and writing motivation of 4th grade primary school students. Furthermore, it was found that students who participated in the study had positive views on the Turkish language course instructed with authentic task-based authentic material.

The objective of the present study is to develop a measurement tool to assess 21st Century learning and innovation skills of primary school students. Study data was collected from 632 fourth grade students in five different primary schools during 2014-2015 academic year and data obtained from 609 fourth grade students were utilized in the study. The scale was developed in six stages. These were; establishing the scale items, consultation of experts, pretest stage, determination of structural validity, reliability assessment, and finalization of the scale, respectively. Cronbach alpha reliability coefficient for the whole scale, which consisted of three factors, was calculated as 0.95. 0.89. As a result of the current study, a Likert-type 21st Century learning and innovation skills scale with 39 items was developed. 20 items of the scale were related to creativity and innovation skills, 12 were related to critical thinking and problem solving skills, and 7 were related to cooperation and communication skills.

This study was designed as a descriptive survey study in order to determine primary education teacher trainees' epistemological beliefs; the use of metacognitive strategies; and the relationship between epistemological beliefs and metacognitive strategies. 820 primary education teacher trainees' were selected from the department of primary education at seven education faculties. The Epistemological Beliefs Scale and the Metacognition Inventory were used to collect the data. In data analysis, means and standard deviations were used. In order to determine the differences between the groups, in pair sample comparisons independent t-test was used. For multiple sample comparisons, one-way ANOVA analysis was used with Tukey HSD test and Games Howell. In order to determine the relationship between the variables, Pearson correlation analysis was conducted. The results revealed that the beliefs of primary education teacher trainees' on "learning depends on effort" were developed/matured more in comparison to the beliefs on "learning depends on skills" and the beliefs on "there is a single truth." Significant differences were found among their beliefs in terms of gender, grade, and the university they attend; while no significant relationship was found between their academic achievement and beliefs. Results also revealed that among the metacognitive strategies they used the most, primary education teacher trainees' used "self control" "cognitive strategy", "self evaluation" and "self-awareness" respectively . Significant differences were found among metacognitive strategies they used in terms of gender, grade, and the university they attend while no significant relationship was found between their academic achievement and metacognitive strategies they used. Furthermore, the results indicated that there was a significant relationship between primary education teacher trainees' epistemological beliefs and metacognitive strategy use. In order to improve their epistemological beliefs and to increase the level of metacognitive strategy use, instructional activities could be improved. For researchers; different research methodologies (experimental and qualitative) could be employed, besides study could be conducted with different evaluation instruments and parameters. Additionally, it could be suggested that various examples could be presented in class, especially in the professional knowledge courses to develop the primary education pre-service teachers' beliefs about "there is only one truth". Moreover, it could be emphasized that the strategy use is important not only in planning, arranging and evaluating own learning but also making teaching activities guided, particularly for 3rd year pre-service teachers whose meta-cognitive strategy use was obtained as low. Thus, the activities to increase the strategy use could be designed. Lastly, indirect and direct teaching activities could be carried out to enhance the male students' strategy use as the level of class increases.

In today's world it has long become a necessity to learn and communicate in another language other than one's mother tongue (L1). When the world is walking on the path of globalization people try to learn a second/foreign language (L2). In this study it's critically aimed to explore strategy use in L1 and L2 reading at K12 level. Subjects involved in the study are the fourth and fifth grade students in two private primary schools in Eskisehir province, Turkey. In this study triangulation method was used. The study was carried out in two steps. In the first step quantitative data were collected from the 86 students by a questionnaire developed by researchers depending on literature review. In the second step, qualitative data were collected from the 3 foreign language teachers and 3 mother tongue teachers by semi-structured interviews. Qualitative data were gathered to describe the situations in depth as supplementary data. The results obtained from the study indicates that although students' strategy use in L1 and L2 reading and strategy groups they engaged such as cognitive, compensation, meta-cognitive and social strategies have similarities, percentage of the reading strategy they use differ Besides, opinions of foreign language teachers and mother tongue obtained from qualitative data support the findings. (Contains 4 tables.)

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