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The primary purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between language learning strategy use and foreign language achievement, focusing on differences in gender. A total of 263 English as a foreign language students enrolled in English preparatory class program at Necmettin Erbakan University, School of Foreign Languages participated in the study. This was a descriptive study in relational screening model. The Turkish version of "Strategy Inventory of Language Learning (SILL)", originally developed by Oxford (1990) and adapted into Turkish by Cesur and Fer (2007), was used as the data collection tool. Results from the study indicated that metacognitive strategies were the most frequently used strategies among the participants, while cognitive strategies were the least frequently used. There was no significant difference between the male and female students in terms of language learning strategy use except memory strategies. Also, low but statistically significant positive correlations were observed between foreign language achievement and cognitive (r = 0.23; p = 0.00), compensation (r = 0.16; p = 0.01) and metacognitive strategies (r = 0.15; p = 0.02). The findings reported in the study suggest that high-level strategy use could affect students' achievement in foreign language preparatory classes.

With its total number of users (around 62 million) throughout the world, it is important to determine the views of academics who use Edmodo (the leading SLN). In this respect in the first part of this two-part research, the purpose was to examine academics' (n = 50) use of technology and social networks. As for the purpose of the second part, it was to determine the views of 12 academics--selected from the academics participating in the first part--who had experience in Edmodo about the basic features of Edmodo and about its use in education. In the study carried out with the mixed method, the qualitative and quantitative data were collected with an online questionnaire. The findings obtained were interpreted within the framework of cooperative learning and the theories of "Diffusion of Innovations" and "Uses and Gratifications," and the related themes were formed. As a result, the academics with experience in Edmodo reported their views about the benefits of use of the Edmodo in education. Regarding the differences between Edmodo and social networks, the results suggested that the former was used completely for educational purposes and that it did not involve any unnecessary components.

The purpose of this study is to identify whether computational thinking skills among secondary school students differ depending on the type of digital games they play. The participants of this study were 202 secondary school students at 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th grades during 2016-2017 academic year. Correlational survey method was used during this study. Furthermore, there were three different data collection instruments used. The first one was "Personal Information Form". The second one was "Computational Thinking Skills Scale" and the third data collection instrument was "Questionnaire for Type of Games Played with Digital Tools". Results indicated that students scored higher compared to other sub-scales while their scores from the critical thinking sub-scale was the lowest. The most frequently played game category of the students was found to be dress up/make-up games.

The present study aimed at presenting the results of content analysis on Master's Theses carried out in the field of distance education at higher education level in Turkey between 1986 and 2015. A total of 285 Master's Theses were examined to determine the key words, academic disciplines, research areas, theoretical frameworks, research designs and models, statistical analyses, data collection tools, participants, instructional design models, variables/research focus and related institutions. Therefore, the study is considered to be important since it tried to reveal the research trends of distance education in Turkey and to determine the related research trends.

In the present study, the purpose was to determine students' views about the application of Flipped Classroom Model (FL), in which, different from the traditional method, homework is replaced by in-class activities and which has frequently been mentioned recently. The study was carried out with 24 students from the department of Computer Education and Instructional Technologies within the scope of the Scientific Ethics Course for in a period of 11 weeks in 2016. In the research process, study groups were formed to let the students carry out the in-class applications collaboratively. In the study, the research data were collected via structured observation form, observation, structured interview form and focus group interview. The study was carried out on qualitative basis with quantitative support. In the quantitative dimension of the study, descriptive statistics was applied, and in the qualitative dimension, thematic analysis method was used. In the study, for the collection and analysis of the data, Rogers's Diffusion of Innovations Theory was used as the theoretical framework. In this respect, with the data collected from the participants, the advantages and disadvantages of the FL model were determined. The findings obtained in the study revealed that the participants had positive views about their collaborative learning thanks to the FL model within the scope of the Scientific Ethics Course; that the model increased their motivations; that the model should be used more commonly; and that they wanted to prefer to teach with this model in their future professional lives. [For the Online Submission version of this article, see ED577873.]

Despite the widespread use of Social Learning Networks (SLNs), there is little research on the effectiveness of these sites in related literature. Therefore, there is a need for studies investigating but use of SLNs in educational environments and their effects on learners' academic achievements. In this study, the purpose was to investigate the effects of use of Edmodo, a leading SLN site, on students' performances and attitudes towards online learning according to certain variables. In line with this purpose, using the pretest-posttest method, an experimental study with a control group was carried out with 79 learners taking the courses of Special Teaching Methods in the department of Computer Education and Instructional Technologies in the Education Faculty of a university in Turkey. In addition to face-to-face courses given to the experimental group students, various activities related to the course (group works, individual assignments, discussions) were carried out under the guidance of the course teacher via Edmodo. As for the control group students, they carried out the activities in class environment without using Edmodo. The results revealed that students who used Edmodo were more successful than those who did not. Based on this result, it could be stated that Edmodo had positive contributions to learners' academic achievements.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of a game called Wild Web Woods (WWW) designed by the European Council for safe Internet use on secondary school students' safe Internet use. In line with this purpose, for the purpose of determining the students' awareness of safe Internet use, a total of 504 students from different regions in Turkey were reached. In the study, a 25-item questionnaire developed by the researchers was applied to the students. The results of the data analysis revealed that the students generally had sufficient levels of awareness of safe Internet use. In the study, 28 5th and 6th grade students attending a secondary school in the city of Balikesir took part in the application phase of the WWW game. These students were introduced to the WWW game and asked to play the game. Following this, scenario-based application questions prepared by the researchers were directed to the students. In order to provide data triangulation and to determine the students' views about this new application, open-ended questions were directed to the students. The results demonstrated that the students' awareness of safe Internet use generally increased. Almost all the students taking education on safe Internet with the help of the WWW game gave correct answers to the scenario-based application questions. The qualitative data were interpreted within the scope of "Diffusion of Innovations Theory," and the related themes were obtained. The students regarded this game as an innovation, entertained while playing the game and stated that they wanted to use it in future. This situation can be explained as diffusion of the related innovation.

In this study we examined the first-time use of a miniaturized fluidized bed module in a chemical engineering classroom. Learning activities were developed to foster learning at the higher levels of Bloom's taxonomy and within the ICAP framework to provide interactive, constructive, and active engagement to promote a deeper understanding of concepts. A hands-on activity facilitated by a desktop-scale fluidized bed and reinforcing printed worksheet materials was deployed within a 50-min class to encourage student engagement. Results from module performance tests compare well to predictions based on theoretical models suggesting this tool can effectively demonstrate fundamental concepts related to pressure loss in a packed bed, minimum fluidization velocity, constant pressure drop in a fluidized bed, bed expansion and repacking below a top screen. Pre- and Posttests 1 and 2 show student learning was significantly improved after pre-homework and the hands-on activity compared to the learning after the lecture alone. Student responses to two open-ended questions on Pre- and Posttests 1 and 2 allowed us to identify persisting student misconceptions about packed and fluidized beds. Suggestions for future work to repair these misconceptions are included in this study. A hands-on fluidized bed learning tool enabling visualization of packed and fluidized beds in a chemical engineering classroom, and associated impacts on conceptual learning and student engagement. [Display omitted] • Miniaturized fluidized-bed learning module effectively produces pressure drops to display intended fundamental concepts for packed and fluidized beds. • A statistical analysis of student conceptual learning assessments reveal that incorporating hands-on packed and fluidized bed activities enhances apparent conceptual understanding of fundamental concepts. • An in-depth analysis of open-ended explanations still reveals lack of clarity about the reasons why phenomena are observed and areas where modification of worksheets may be used to elicit better insights. • A self-report ICAP survey supports strong student engagement in interactive, constructive, and active modes of learning. • The majority of students self-report the hands-on DLM activities helps them visualize packed and fluidized intended concepts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Action Research (AR) is becoming popular in the field of education, and according to literature, it could be stated that AR studies have positive influence on practice in education. The present study aims at conducting content analysis of action research (AR) master theses and doctoral dissertations submitted at the level of Turkish higher education. A total of 10 master theses and 18 doctoral dissertations were analyzed to determine their action research type, keywords, theoretical framework, academic discipline, test and analysis, data collection tools, participants, variables and research interest and leader institutions. Furthermore, the action research purposes of these theses and dissertations were analyzed with qualitative methods. In this respect, the present study is thought to be significant in that by reviewing the action research theses/dissertations, it helps clarify the current status of the action research field in Turkey and determine the research trends in this area. As a result, more than half (57%) of theses/dissertations were determined to fall into the "Technical/scientific/collaborative" type. Besides, in relation to theoretical frameworks, "constructivism" was found to be dominant in the theses/dissertations analyzed. Interview and participant observation notes were the most popular data collection tools. Lastly, according to their statements of purpose, the theses/dissertations could be gathered under 3 themes: "development", "actualization", and "application".

Technological advances brought applications of innovations to education. Conventional education increasingly flourishes with new technologies accompanied by more learner active environments. In this continuum, there are learners preferring self-learning. Traditional learning materials yield attractive, motivating and technologically enhanced learning materials. The QR (Quick Response) Codes are one of these innovations. The aim of this study is to redesign a lesson unit supported with QR Codes and to get the learner views about the redesigned material. For this purpose, the redesigned lesson unit was delivered to 15 learners in Balikesir University in the academic year of 2013-2014. The learners were asked to study the material. The learners who had smart phones and Internet access were chosen for the study. To provide sectional diversity, three groups were created. The group learners were from Faculty of Education, Faculty of Science and Literature and Faculty of Engineering. After the semi-structured interviews were held, the learners were asked about their pre-knowledge about QR Codes, QR Codes' contribution to learning, difficulties with using QR Codes about and design issues. Descriptive data analysis was used in the study. The findings were interpreted on the basis of Theory of Diffusion of Innovations and Theory of Uses and Gratifications. After the research, the themes found were awareness of QR Code, types of QR Codes and applications, contributions to learning, and proliferation of QR Codes. Generally, the learners participating in the study reported that they were aware of QR Codes; that they could use the QR Codes; and that using QR Codes in education was useful. They also expressed that such features as visual elements, attractiveness and direct routing had positive impact on learning. In addition, they generally mentioned that they did not have any difficulty using QR Codes; that they liked the design; and that the content should include both superficial and in-depth information.

The present study aims to determine the relation between Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) levels of teachers and their self-efficacy in integrating technology, their technology literacy and their usage objective of social networks. Structural equation modeling was utilized to create a model explaining and predicting the relations. The study group consisted of 401 teachers. The relational screening model was applied in this study. In the model which was reviewed in the light of obtained study results, it was detected that the most significant variable in the prediction of TPACK levels of teachers' was teachers' technology integration self-efficacy. From this, it can be argued that in teacher education for achieving effective technology integration, it may be useful to explicitly encourage teachers' own beliefs and focusing on developing their own beliefs in practices for technology integration.

The objective of this study is to construct a model which explains and predicts the relations of university students' cyberloafing behaviors with demographic and academic variables at computing courses where online social networking sites are utilized for education and is to review whether there is longitudinal effect on these relations in terms of learning experience. This group of the study is composed of 171 university students. In this study, self-description form, two different success tests, and various scales are utilized as data collection tools. For the analysis of the data, structural equation modeling and multiple hierarchical regression analysis are utilized. The results of this study indicate that variables of information technologies usage status, online learning activities usage status, academic self-efficacy, motivation, and cognitive absorption are predictable of cyberloafing behaviors at Time 2 point, and cyberloafing behavior predicts academic success and academic procrastination at Time 2 point. Although the relations between various study variables and cyberloafing are not meaningful at Time 1 point, it is an interesting finding that these relations are statistically meaningful at Time 2 point.

Aim of the study is reviewing parental mediation based on some variables by adapting "Parental Mediation of Young Children's Internet Use Scale"-- which was developed by Nikken and Jansz ("Learning, Media and Technology," 39(2), 250-266, 2014) -- into Turkish. The study was conducted in two steps. At the first step, data was collected for the scale adaptation process, and validity and reliability of the scale were calculated. 170 parents participated into the study at the first step. At the second step, scanning was done through adaptive scale. 341 parents participated at the second step. This study was conducted through purposive and convenience sampling method by selection of the parents with different socio-demographic features and having children at 5th and 6th grades in middle school. Self-description form and two different scales were utilized in the study. At the end of the study, to detect parental mediation of young children's internet use level, a scale which is competent, valid and reliable in terms of content was contributed to the related Turkish literature. Within frame of this study, parental mediation of their young children's internet use levels were found to differentiate based on levels of age, education and internet usage experience through the scanning done by utilizing the scale created as a result of the scale adaptation. Additionally, a positive and meaningful relation between parental mediation scores and digital data security was found in the study.

The aim of this research is to determine the effects of Scratch and Alice tools and programming teaching practices on student engagement, reflective thinking and problem-solving skills and computational thinking (CT) comparatively. A quasi-experimental design was used in the research and patterns with pretest-posttest control group were chosen for the variables. The study group was compromised of 110 students at 5th grade in 2016 spring semester. 1st and 2nd groups of Computing Technologies Course have been assigned objectively. Alice programming tool was preferred in the learning process of the 1st experimental group, whereas, Scratch programming tool was utilised in the 2nd study group during application process which lasted for 8 weeks. Results of the research show that programming teaching with Scratch has affected engagement and reflective thinking skills of the students for problem solving more positively than Alice. It has been stated that teaching with Alice affects skills related to CT of the students positively. Furthermore, some recommendations have been made for the future researches.

Learning the basic concepts of programming and its foundations is considered as a challenging task for students to figure out. It is a challenging process for lecturers to learn these concepts, as well. The current literature on programming training abounds with the examples of a wide range of methods employed. Within this context, one of the prominent approaches in programming training is flipped classroom (FC) model. This article has sought to illuminate the effect of cognitive flexibility, problem-solving skills (PSS), and flipped learning readiness (FLR) levels on students' programming achievements in programming training through FC model. A total of 149 freshmen computer science students studying in a state university in Turkey were recruited for this study. In this study, designed as a relational screening model, a personal form, an achievement test, and three different data collection instruments were employed to collect data. For the data analysis, structural equation modeling, a multivariate statistical analysis technique, was used to reveal a model explaining and predicting the relations between programming achievement and different variables. The findings clearly indicate that FLR is the most important predictor of the programming achievements of students in FC. Other important predictors were found as PSS and cognitive flexibility. The research model demonstrates that an increase or development in FLR, PSS, and cognitive flexibility levels in FC will enhance the achievements of students in programming.

The purpose of the study was to investigate the views of learners experienced in the Distance Learning Platform (DLP), which was prepared according to an online course design model. The participants of the study were 19 learners who took the programming languages course (via the DLP for 14 weeks). Before the application, the preparation of the DLP took nearly 500 hours. A pilot study was performed with the learners during the summer school. The design of the DLP was improved through the views of those learners. The data were obtained through face-to-face interviews with the learners. The following themes emerged from analysis of the data: factors in preferring the DLP, general characteristics of the DLP, the effectiveness of the DLP, and expansion of the DLP. These themes are further analyzed on the basis of "Diffusion of Innovations" and "Uses and Gratifications" theories. As a result of the interviews conducted with the learners, it was found that the learners had positive opinions about the DLP as it (1) offers flexibility, (2) contains elements enhancing their motivation, (3) enables the learners to communicate easily with the instructor, (4) provides the learners with instant feedback, and (5) enables them to access to the course materials easily.

The purpose of this study was to design the course of Programming Languages-I online, which is given on face-to-face basis at undergraduate level. It is seen in literature that there is no detailed research on the preparation of a fully-online course directly based on an instructional design model. In this respect, depending on the ADDIE design model, the most popular instructional design models, an online course was adapted in phases. Each phase of the model and on the steps in each phase were explained. The preparation of this course given via DLP lasted approximately 500 hours. Following its preparation, the pilot application was carried out with the learners taking the course of Programming Languages during summer school period. The learners used DLP in all respects, and DLP was revised and the necessary changes were made in line with the learners' views and with the results of the usability test. The study revealed that it was important to analyze all the related areas in the analysis phase of an online course design and to make the necessary decisions in the phase of design. In the dimension of distance education evaluation, since there is no precise and reliable method, the traditional evaluation methods were favored within the scope of the product evaluation of this course taught via DLP. In addition, within the scope of the process evaluation, the learners' views were determined via weekly evaluations. Establishing interaction in online courses is important to prove the live structure of the system, and this situation will help learners perceive themselves to a part of the course.

Although several scales are used to measure general and clinical learning climates, there are no scales that assess the preclinical learning climate. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to develop an effective measurement tool in order to assess the preclinical learning climate. In this cross-sectional study, data were collected from 3,540 preclinical medical students of six medical faculties in Turkey. The methodology included the following activities: generate an item pool, receive expert opinions, perform a pretest to purify the instrument, and conduct factor and reliability analyses. According to the factor analysis, eight factors were determined and their contribution to the variance was 50.39%. In addition, the item factor loadings ranged from 0.31 to 0.91, Cronbach's alpha coefficients for the subscales ranged from 0.72 to 0.77, and the item-total correlation coefficients for the subscales ranged from 0.44 to 0.76. All the items significantly discriminated between the low and high-performing students (t = 99.57; p = 0.01). The scale included 52 items with the following subscales: management, teaching, teaching staff, institutional commitment, emotions, inter-student relationships, physical environment, and motivation. The analysis of this newly developed Preclinical Learning Climate Scale (PLCS) indicated that its psychometric properties are appropriate and this scale can be employed to evaluate medical education programs.