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Mathematics is language dependent. Part of learning mathematics is learning the mathematical language. Learning disabilities are defined as disorders that are related to listening, thinking, speaking, writing, and reading that are seen in the processes of understanding or using a verbal or written language. In this context, the present study aimed to reveal the understanding and usage of the mathematical language of students with learning disabilities in the context of the concept of length. This study was conducted as a case study. The participants of the study were 4th grade and 5th grade students with learning disabilities. Data collection was conducted through semi-structured clinical interviews during a teaching experiment based on the concept of length and analysed using the content analysis method. According to the findings, the students with learning disabilities had a different and limited understanding, as well as usage of various mathematical terms including length, height, perimeter, half and centimetre.

This study was conducted to examine whether newly enrolled 9th grade students were ready to directly engage in the theoretical discursive process from the perspective of Duval's Cognitive Model. The sample of the study was comprised of 51 newly enrolled 9th grade students between the ages of 14 and 15, who had not received any prior geometry instruction. These 51 students were posed two open-ended questions that would enable them to make a transition between perceptual and discursive apprehension. According to the findings obtained from the study, many of the students could not display the necessary behaviors for theoretical discursive process. Students were mostly unsuccessful in converting discursive information into perceptual information, in writing discursive information based on perceptual information, and making inferences based on discursive information. These findings indicate that recent graduates of secondary school are not ready enough to directly engage in theoretical discursive process and, thus, they could experience difficulties in such high order skills as providing proof requiring the theoretical discursive process.

The social and financial leadership training program started to be implemented in Turkey in 2015 with the training of trainers, and a wide-ranging application covering the whole of Turkey was carried out in the 2020-2021 academic year. The project is aimed to provide students with knowledge and attitudes within the scope of social and financial leadership, and teachers with the ability to apply student-centered teaching methods as well as knowledge and attitude in the subject area within the scope of professional development. For the project, an open announcement is made for all teachers in Turkey working in the 3rd and 4th grades of the primary school and the 6th and 7th grades of the secondary school. 320 teachers and 3786 students from 81 provinces who applied for the announcement were included in the project. In the project, teacher training is carried out through active learning methods and in line with professional development principles, in 12 sessions of 2 h, in groups of 30, by 21 mentors. On the other hand, student training, lasted for five months, with a theme each month, between November and March by teachers under the guidance of mentors. All stages of the project were carried out through online training. Pre-test and post-test data were collected through knowledge, attitude, and skill scales developed for teachers and students within the scope of the research. The findings obtained in the research reveal that the social and financial leadership training program is effective in gaining knowledge and attitudes in the subject area in students and teachers.

Researchers from many countries have pointed out the difficulty of transitioning from high school to university settings, especially within the context of mathematics courses. With its abstract content, deductive thinking structure, and unique language, university mathematics is quite different from high school mathematics for students encountering such courses at the undergraduate level for the first time; often, they may perceive themselves as though they are in a different world. The two main actors playing a role in students' transition from high school to university mathematics are the students themselves and the faculty members who are attempting to guide them through the process. This study aims to reveal the difficulties experienced by 17 to 19-year-old first-year students in the undergraduate departments of mathematics education and mathematics from the perspectives of students and faculty members. Within the scope of the study, the mathematics courses offered in the first year of a Faculty of Education program and a Faculty of Science program in Turkey were observed for one semester. Interviews were then conducted with volunteer students, as well as faculty members who were instructing the courses. We present the cognitive, epistemological, sociocultural, didactic, and affective aspects of the difficulties experienced by first-year students, as well as the reasons underlying these difficulties.

Thanks to the rapid change and development of technological opportunities in sports, training can be carried out in an electronic environment and with electronic tools. Among these tools, we can mention a desktop computer, a printer, a scanner, a projection device, a smart phone, a portable computer also called as laptop, glasses for simulation, and a wearable measuring device such as a polar clock. Through these tools, it is also easier to evaluate the educational activity performed. Digital sports can be defined as sports that are produced, performed and evaluated in an electronic environment. In this context, digital sports means changing and transforming all kinds of modern information about sports, scientific and philosophical views, theories and concepts related to technology. Digital sports, which contains more than one understanding of sports and technical narration about sports, questions the interaction of the sportsperson with his environment and technology, especially with himself. Therefore, a digital sport, as in every newly developing perspective on sports, is supported in a broad context by long-term studies that select multiple perspectives. One of these studies is mental training study in which the basic principles of cinema therapy are applied. Mental training is one of the trainings made using technological opportunities in sports. This training is carried out by making sports people, especially athletes, watch movies or scenes from movies, in line with the principles of cinema therapy, with the help of a computer and a projection device. The main purpose of this study is to consider cinema therapy in mental (psychosocial) training education as an example of digitalization in sports. As a data collection method, the data compiled were blended from sources in different fields such as digital technology, sociology, psychology, sports sociology, sports psychology and psychiatry. It is thought that this study, which is one of the rare studies on the subject, will be an example for similar studies in the future.

Proof is foundational to mathematics, and constructing proofs and establishing their validity are both important mathematical studies. Determining the validity of a proof is a part of the process of proof evaluation. Proof evaluation contributes to students' ability to construct and revise their own proofs. The purpose of this study was to determine the criteria pre-service mathematics teachers take into account in evaluating a proof. The study was carried out with 50 first-year university students enrolled in an elementary mathematics teacher education program. The data were collected through activities relating to proving. The results of this study revealed that, when evaluating a proof, the participants regarded use of appropriate definitions, axioms, or theorems in the steps of the proof as the most important criterion with reference to justification, while in terms of mathematical language; they regarded appropriate use of symbolic language as the most important criterion. However, they tended to ignore situations where non-symbolic language was used. To address this issue, it is recommended that mathematics-learning environments include the use of non-symbolic language, as well as symbolic representations, in the definition of mathematical concepts.

Upon learning that their child has a neurodevelopmental disorder, families enter a different process and can experience problems related to their child's behavior management. This study was designed in response to a request from mothers with children diagnosed with various neurodevelopmental disorders. The study used a multi-level case study, one of the qualitative research designs. A behavior support plan (BSP) was created to address the three mothers' needs concerning the negative behaviors they observed in their children. The BSP is a 12-session program based on applied behavior analysis (ABA). This program was shaped by collecting data through semi-structured interviews, field notes, and the researcher's diary before the family education. It was determined whether the program was effective by continuing to collect data through the data collection tools in the middle and end of the BSP implementation. The results of the inductive analysis revealed that BSP reduced the problem behaviors in the children and ended the punishments given by the mothers and that they felt better via this education. In general, it is recommended to train applied behavior analysts who are going to provide individual family education based on ABA, to make family education a country policy, and to increase such education provided to families both at schools and individually.

In this survey study, it is aimed to develop a valid and reliable scale that can measure multicultural teacher competencies of primary teachers and to examine their multicultural teacher competencies. Three different participant groups were determined by convenience sampling technique. With 336 primary teachers exploratory factor analysis (EFA), with 349 primary teachers confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted. Then, multicultural teacher competencies of 419 primary teachers in the third group were determined with the scale developed. Data collected through Google forms was analyzed with SPSS 24.0. EFA, CFA, correlation, t-test, Mann Whitney U and Kruskal Wallis tests were carried out in the analysis. As a result of the analysis, consisting of 22 items and three factors; both the overall reliability coefficient, confirmed by CFA, was 0.94, explaining 62.10% of the total variance and the reliability coefficient values for each factor were calculated as 0.93 for the first factor, 0.85 for the second factor and 0.86 for the third factor. In addition, it was determined that teachers had the most self-efficacy regarding the resilience sub-dimension, followed by their sensitivity to differences and multicultural pedagogical competencies. Multicultural teacher competencies differed significantly in favor of women. There is a significant difference in sensitivity to differences in favor of younger teachers. In the sub-dimension of resilience, it was determined that teachers who work in larger cities had more resilience while there was no significant difference in the context of professional experience. [This article includes an extended summary in Turkish.]

The aim of this research was to get the opinions of primary school teacher candidates about flexible classrooms in which technology is integrated, the flexibility in the physical arrangement of the classrooms and the modern approach to classroom structuring, as opposed to the traditional classroom structure, and the role of teachers in these classrooms. The research study group consisted of 3rd-year pre-service teachers studying at a state university education faculty from 2021-2022. In the research, the data were obtained with a semi-structured interview form. For the analysis of the obtained data, the MAXQDA 2022 program and a content analysis technique were used. One of the main conclusions of the research was that the participants associated their definitions of the flexible classroom with the physical arrangement the most. According to their drawings, they preferred a u-shaped seating arrangement, and they defined the teachers of the flexible classrooms sociologically.

Since the concept of sustainability is linked to the problems of daily life, educational games are an important tool to teach this concept and to reveal perceptions about this concept. This study aims to determine science teachers' views on the concept of sustainable development through educational games. This study is a phenomenological study. The study group of this study consists of 37 science teachers. In the research, five semi-structured interview questions prepared by the researchers were used as data collection tool. When the results obtained from the research were examined, it was found that teachers associated the concept of sustainable development less with the words environment and next generation rather than other words. Teachers explained the main idea of the game around the themes of society, environment and economy. In addition, teachers stated that the game process affects them in terms of knowledge, attitudes and values, behavior about sustainable resources. Most of the teachers stated that they will play the game differently after they learn what the cards and resources in the game mean. Teachers mostly explained that they would try not to consume resources and would protect non-renewable resources. Finally, after the game, the teachers classified the countries in today's world into three categories as developed countries, developing countries and underdeveloped countries.

Creativity is recognized as an integral skill of the 21st century. For this reason, it is important for educators to learn how to nurture their students' creativity and find means of evoking it in the classroom. It is believed that creativity, a trademark of this age of innovation, can be developed with a suitable educational environment and can be taught when appropriate conditions are provided. The role and importance of universities, especially faculties of education, which elicit the development and application of new ideas, cannot be denied. This study aimed to help pre-service teachers define creativity and evaluate their undergraduate education processes in terms of gaining and using creativity-based skills. In accordance with the nature of the qualitative research, the study group of the research was selected using a random sampling strategy. The study group of the research consisted of 197 pre-service teachers being educated in the faculty of education of a state university in their final year. The data collected and entered into the online data collection form was acquired using content analysis.

This research aimed to explore the competencies of the pre-service chemistry teachers (PSCTs) to use Web 2.0 tools and their views on these tools in the context of chemistry teaching. A descriptive design was used. The participants were 27 PSCTs studying at the Department of Chemistry Education at a state university in Turkey. Data were collected through Web 2.0 Tools Usage Competence Scale and Structured Interview Form. The results demonstrated that the PSCTs were moderately competent in using Web 2.0 tools. The majority of them experienced these tools for the first time within the framework of this study and had no prior expertise. The interview results showed that the PSCTs thought that most chemistry subjects are difficult to comprehend due to their abstract sense, and that any subject can be taught more successfully using Web 2.0 tools to visualize it as a comics or animation. Considering the results, it was suggested that pre-service teachers and teachers could acquire knowledge and competencies in Web 2.0 technologies by organizing various projects, workshops and in-service trainings.

In this research, it was aimed to examine the effects of interdisciplinary science activities on 5th grade students' creative problem-solving skills and 21st century skills. The study group consisted of 50 5th grade students, 26 girls and 24 boys, were studying at a public school in Ankara, Çankaya district in the 2018-2019 academic year. The Creative Problem Solving Attribute Inventory and the 21st Century Skills Tests were applied to the students before and after the application. The obtained data were analyzed using a statistical program. The "Dependent Groups t-Test" and "Cohen's d" test, which are parametric tests, were used in the analysis of the Creative Problem Solving Attribute Inventory and the 21st Century Skills Test. In line with the evaluations made, it was concluded that interdisciplinary science activities positively affected students' creative problem solving skills and 21st century skills. Suggestions were made based on the findings.

The aim in the current study is to examine the conceptualizations of zero in arithmetic operations among students with learning disabilities (LD) and no learning disabilities (N-LD). The similarities and differences in the understandings of students with LD and N-LD of zero in arithmetical operations will be discussed. The study is a multiple case study with a qualitative research design. Six students, 3 students with LD and 3 with N-LD aged between 10 and 12 years participated in the study. The data were collected through clinical interviews. The data were analyzed by content analysis. Students' limited understanding of zero and operations affects their interpretation of arithmetic operations with zero. The conceptualizations of students with LD and N-LD regarding specifically division by zero show similarities with the exception of their use of the knowledge about operations. It has been observed that LD students have developed a different algorithm when it comes to addition and multiplication with zero. Through this study examining the differences in the understandings of students with LD and N-LD on a specific concept in terms of underlying conceptions, it is thought to provide an insight in terms of discovering LD and a more detailed recognition of these students' mathematics.

The present study aimed to remediate pre-service teachers' misconceptions about sampling distributions and to develop their conceptual understanding through the use of conceptual change texts (CCTs). The participants consisted of 84 pre-service teachers. To determine the pre-service teachers' conceptual understanding of sampling distributions, an achievement test was utilized. Five conceptual change texts were prepared. In this study, the number of correct responses of pre-service teachers increased from pretest to post-test and delayed test. This increase was statistically significant in favor of the post-test and delayed test. The results demonstrated that, due to the knowledge gained from the CCTs, the pre-service teachers improved their conceptual understanding about sampling distributions. Moreover, this study represents an important effort to integrate CCTs in mathematics and statistics education.

The study aims to determine the subject matter knowledge of Prospective Primary School Teachers (PPSTs) and analyze their chemical representation levels on crystallization. The study was carried out with descriptive research with a qualitative approach based on this purpose. The study participants were eighty freshman students studying at the Department of Primary Education in a state university in the Aegean Region of Turkey. The data were collected using a worksheet containing seven open-ended questions regarding the crystallization experiment. The questions were about the solubility of salt in water, the formation of the salt water and its solubility-temperature graph, the formation of the saturated salt water, and the appearance of particles formed during crystallization. A worksheet was prepared to determine the chemical representation levels of the PPSTs, and the data were subjected to document analysis. The researchers conducted a demonstration experiment and an animated video on the extraction of table salt by crystallization as an activity during the study process. The results indicated that PPSTs' responses related to crystallization were mainly at the macroscopic level. At the same time, they had great difficulty explaining at the levels of sub-microscopic and symbolic representations. Moreover, they could not explain the concept of dissolution with scientific expressions and distinguish the mixtures from each other. Additionally, most prospective teachers could not draw the correct solubility-temperature graph, so they had difficulty in symbolic representations. The study results imply that to raise the quality of science education in Turkey, PPSTs must attend a quality teaching of science, so primary school students acquire scientifically accurate knowledge of the basic science subjects and concepts such as dissolution, solubility, and crystallization.

As innovation has gained importance worldwide, educating students as individuals with innovative qualities has become imperative. Therefore, identifying students' perceptions of innovativeness in science lessons has become an issue of concern. The aim of this study was to determine secondary school students' perceptions of innovativeness. The research was conducted according to the survey method. 'Perceptions of Innovative Thinking Scale,' was revised, and necessary scale development steps were followed. Accordingly, secondary school students' general innovative thinking perceptions and the relationships of the scale subdimensions with the variables were determined with single and correlational survey models. After the responses that 831 students gave to the scale were analysed, it was determined that the students' perceptions of innovativeness were high and that gender excepted, grade level, achievement in the subject of science, participation in the TÜBITAK 4006 science fair, and the case of receiving programming training created significant differences in the subdimensions. The research findings were discussed according to the literature. It was recommended that STEM and programming be included in science courses and that teachers guide these processes.

Well-defined teacher competencies can serve as a reference resource for teacher candidates and a road map for teachers who need to equip themselves with new competencies to meet the rapidly changing demands of children and society. This study, which grounded on mixed methods research, aimed to develop a measurable and observable generic teacher competency framework. The study was conducted in three phases. The initial phase was comprised of the literature review on teacher competencies, interviews with teacher candidates, teacher trainers, and education experts on the current teacher competency framework developed by the Turkish Ministry of Education in 2017. The analyses revealed the need for a new framework since the current competency framework does not allow self-evaluation and cannot be used as a road map for teachers and teacher candidates due to the way it is structured. Based on the initial findings, the researchers prepared a draft competency framework, which was evaluated by 397 teachers through information forms and 52 teacher trainers representing all disciplines of educational sciences at a workshop organized by the researchers. The analyses resulted in a framework consisting of six competency domains, 31 sub-competencies and their performance indicators at four competency levels. The core competencies developed seem to be congruent with international frameworks; however, it is also a unique framework with its content, structure and approach. The generic teacher competency framework developed as a result of this study can be utilized for professional development of teachers and teacher candidates as a reference guide and be utilized for evaluation purposes with its measurable and observable performance indicators specified under sub-competencies. It can also be used for the assessment and accreditation of teacher education programmes.

The current paper aimed to identify the relation between ecological intelligence (EI) and the types of multiple intelligences (MI); and pointed out how ecological awareness could be raised through activities of MI. Data were gathered from the freshman students (n = 68) who studied at the Department of Primary Education. Four measures were used in this case study: interviews, multiple intelligence inventory, ecological intelligence scale (EIS), and students' 5-min notes. Correlation analysis was used to find the relationship between the students' ecological intelligence and the types of MI. The responses to interview questions were coded into discrete themes. Findings indicated that the intelligence type which had the most correlation with the sub-dimensions of EIS was InterP. Moreover, moderate relations were determined between the sub-dimensions of EIS and the types of MI which were Bodily/Kinesthetic (BK) and Visual/ Spatial (VS). Although the students had difficulties in activities such as drama and role-playing for BK intelligence, they enjoyed, and had better motivation to learn collaboratively during the activities through visual tools. Ecological intelligence relates to various types of MI. Based on this assertion the activities of MI should be integrated in-class environmental activities for students to acquire ecological awareness and sensitivity.

Young breast cancer patients have been examined specifically according to the progress of disease, biological behavior differences, and manifestation of various characteristics of prognostic factors. A total of 1300 breast cancer patients, treated between the years 1997 and 2005, were enrolled in the study. Of those patients, 133 were aged 35 years or younger (10%). They were then compared with women older than 35 years in relation to stage, nodal state, surgical technique, adjuvant and neo-adjuvant therapies, ER/PR status, grade, lymphatic and vascular invasion, intraductal component, histological type, local-recurrence, metastasis, mortality, disease-free survival and overall survival rates and predictive factors. In patients aged 35 years or younger, stage, nodal involvement, lymphatic and vascular invasion, ER/PR negativity resulted with higher ratios. In this patient group, local-recurrence and mortality rates were increased while overall survival and disease-free survival decreased. The strong predictive factors observed in the study include stage, grade, and nodal status.These outcomes demonstrate that breast cancer in young patients possess worse prognoses. The characteristics of young breast cancer patients in Turkey are similar to that of other countries.