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This compilation study aims to review e-learning in the context of gifted students during the period in which distance education started to be conducted in Turkey during the pandemic. The study discusses and offers recommendations on the definitions, positive and negative aspects, and limitations of e-learning by using a deductive method. Families and teachers are responsible for positively channeling the desire and curiosity, which require continuity of the gifted students through technology and the internet. For this reason, the recommendations presented in the study were aimed at this target group. "Document review," one of the qualitative research techniques, is used as a data collection tool in line with the purpose of the research. The information obtained from the document review is analyzed, interpreted and compiled to cover the research's purpose. E-learning, which is an alternative solution for the gifted students to reach knowledge to satisfy their high sense of curiosity and lifelong learning needs, can be defined as the interaction of students with the teacher and other students according to their individual differences and learning pace, and the realization of learning by using the opportunities offered by the internet and technology. Based on this definition, utilizing e-learning to support the lifelong learning needed by gifted students can be an important solution during the pandemic process. The students are now able to receive distance education that was made possible by legislative regulations as part of the measures taken due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which has increased its impact throughout the world since the early days of 2019. In this context, mentoring must be provided to all students, including the gifted students, and it should be ensured that they use technology together with the internet and learn on their own. Therefore the study investigates how gifted students can effectively use the e-learning method and access information through distance education, technological resources, and the internet. In addition, the study refers to the advantages and disadvantages of e-learning for gifted students. The study makes recommendations to teachers who will conduct the education process and families in order for them to manage the process positively. [This paper was presented orally at the ICGYSE 2020 1st International Congress on Gifted Young Scientists Education (ICGYSE) held in Istanbul between November 20 and 22, 2020.]

The purpose of this research is to investigate whether there is a significant relationship between attitudes and self-efficacy beliefs of primary school teachers towards gifted education; the level of Self-Efficacy Belief and Attitude and whether they differ according to various variables. In the study, correlational survey model was employed in order to determine a relationship between attitudes and self-efficacy beliefs of primary school teachers towards gifted education. Two scales were used in the study. The scales are called as; "The Self- Efficacy Scale towards Gifted Education (SESTGS)" and "The Attitude Scale towards Gifted Education (ASTGS)". As result of the data analysis, it was seen that the levels of primary school teachers' self-efficacy beliefs towards gifted education were found at the medium level according to the sub-dimensions of academic efficacy, mentorship efficacy, and responsibility; and found at a high level according to the subdimensions of personal characteristics, supporting creativity efficacy, and instruction planning efficacy, and to the total averages. The self-efficacy beliefs of primary school teachers towards gifted education show a statistically significant difference in terms of the sub-dimensions of: personal characteristics, supporting creativity efficacy and instruction planning efficacy, and total averages according to the gender variable. This statistically significant difference is in favor of the male primary school teachers. The self-efficacy beliefs of primary school teachers towards gifted education do not demonstrate a statistically significant difference according to marital status and age variables. It is seen that there is a low-level, positive and significant relationship between the total self-efficacy beliefs and attitudes of primary school teachers towards gifted education.

This study aims at analyzing primary school teachers' opinions on cursive writing and their metaphorical perceptions. The study is a qualitative research. Semistructured interview method was employed to identify opinions of the teachers more clearly. The study group of the research study consisted of primary school teachers who worked at public and private schools in Bayrampasa, Kucukcekmece, Basaksehir, Kartal, Maltepe, Pendik districts of Istanbul province in the 2017-2018 academic year and participated to the study on a voluntary basis. Each teacher was interviewed for 15 minutes on average. In the scope of the interview, the question of "Cursive writing is like…. Because…" was addressed, and teachers were asked to fill the given form. The content analysis method was applied in the data analysis. The teachers' confirmations were received by reading out their expressions. The interviews were conducted by a single researcher in each institution that teachers work. Due to the fact that a single researcher was responsible in the data collection process, a comparison between the data was not required. The valid metaphors were coded appropriately, and afterwards, themes were created according to the related codes. The codes were associated with an inductive method and a code-theme matrixing was provided. As a result of the study, the metaphors concerning the cursive writing were categorized as codes and themes.

The objective of the present study is to identify the language development process, early literacy experiences and educational problems of an early reader identified as gifted. The research method was determined as a case study in line with this objective. The research was structured on the experiences of a fourth-grade male student born in 2010 who attends the Science and Arts center and has been identified by RAM as gifted. The student was coded under name Ahmet. Ahmet's early literacy characteristics, experiences and educational problems were examined through interviews held with Ahmet, his mother and his preschool teacher. Unstructured open-ended questions were used in the study. Categories were created on data obtained to perform a content analysis. Deductive method was employed. According to the results, Ahmet was 3.5 years old when his mother noticed that he was able to read. However, his language development was slower compared to his peers. He was around three when he moved to the two-word period. Ahmet enjoys buying books, spending time at bookstores, visiting libraries, but experiences problems since he grows impatient about finishing a book he has started. He is more attracted to the images than the letters in the books. Book covers help him predict the book, and he sometimes designs his own covers for books he reads.

Metaphors help understand how the meanings investigated are perceived (Cerit, 2008; Rizvanoglu, 2007). As may be seen from these statements, metaphors may be regarded as an important tool for identifying the perceptions of teachers and parents of the gifted children. Therefore, this study aims to explore the perceptions of teachers and parents of the gifted children by way of metaphors. The research participants were selected on voluntary basis from among the parents and teachers of primary and middle school students in Istanbul between the 2016-2017 academic year who are identified as gifted. A total of 150 parents and 50 teachers were included in the study group. Screening model was used in the present study entitled, "Gifted Children Metaphor from the Perspective of Teachers and Parents." Data was collected by qualitative research method. The relevant information on the subject was collected using the interview technique. Teachers and parents were administered a semi-structured interview form. Both parents and teachers were asked the fill the form that includes the statement, "a gifted child is like ........... because ..........." Data was analyzed using the content analysis technique. The views expressed by the parents and teachers during the interviews were read and coded accordingly, and thereafter, themes were created according to the inter-related codes.

Teaching is a sacred profession performed by self-sacrificing individuals with high responsibilities who are aware of their roles, have undertaken the task of raising future generations, make easier individuals' process of becoming citizen in a way to ensure the peace and welfare of the communities, and allow them to learn knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors. By Ataturk's saying, "Teachers are the most devoted and respectable factors of human society all over the world." In hadiths, the sanctity of teaching is expressed as, "Only those two people are admired enviously: The person who uses up and consumes the goods bestowed by Allah on him in the right way, and the person who properly rules over by the wisdom to him by Allah and who also teaches it to others." From early childhood to puberty, the person studying in public institutions establishes a spiritual association with his/her teacher. The psychical aspect of teaching is also quite predominant. The role of teaching is sometimes mixed up with the roles of mother, father, sister, and brother. There are many students who keep fresh their relationships with teachers for many years although their education and training activities do not continue. Based on these, the starting point of the study is about which characteristics the teacher must have to become an ideal teacher. This study was carried out to determine the characteristics of an ideal teacher in line with the opinions of the participants of the faculty of education and pedagogical training program in a University in Istanbul. The research was carried out in the screening model. The research data were collected through semi-structured interview technique to find out student opinions in a clearer way. The study group of the research was established in accordance with the voluntary basis from among the students from the psychological counseling and guidance department, Turkish teaching department, gifted children teaching department and English teaching department and the students who are enrolled in the pedagogical training certificate program in a University, in Istanbul, in the 2015-2016 academic year. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with each participant in the researcher's working office for half an hour on an average. At the beginning of the interview, students were asked about their genders and the graduated university, department, and faculty. Within the context of the interview, the question of "what are the characteristics of an ideal teacher for you" was posed to participants. The personal and professional characteristics that an ideal teacher should have were determined according to the opinions of teacher candidates. The discussion section was structured by the research findings in the literature, and the study was finalized with suggestions. [This paper was presented orally at the 2nd International Conference on Social Sciences and Education Research (ICSSER) held in Istanbul between November 4 and 6, 2016.]

This study is a qualitative exploration of the perceptions of primary school teachers of their supervisors using metaphors. Data in this study was obtained from interviews with 106 classroom teachers who had been supervised at least once. They worked at schools in Istanbul during the 2015-2016 academic year in the following districts: Esenler, Küçükçekmece, Basaksehir, Kartal, and Bagcilar. Interviews were coded and analyzed using the content analysis technique. The metaphors teachers used to describe supervisors could be grouped into the following categories: profession, sports, family, fear, food, animals, guidance, and objects. Results show that primary school teachers have mostly negative perceptions of supervisors, which agrees with other studies. To address this, we recommend improving communication between teachers and supervisors.

The aim of this study is to investigate the discipline approaches of school managers. The study employed qualitative research methods and techniques. The sample of the study consists of the school managers employed in the secondary schools in the district of Basaksehir, Istanbul, in the 2014-2015 educational year. The study unveiled the opinions of 56 school managers on the definition and aims of the concept of discipline, and, at the same time, revealed their discipline approaches that they have adopted. Data were collected from school managers through a semi-structured interview. Interviews were videotaped. The study took approximately two months. According to the findings, school managers defined discipline as a way of yielding desired behaviors, of complying with rules and regulations, rewarding and motivating the employees, and maintaining order in the institution. However, it was also found that some school managers defined discipline as a punishment for undesired behaviors. It was found that school managers think that discipline aims to secure productive functioning of the institutions, to get things done neatly, to help the personnel to be successful, to prevent all possible problems, to make the personnel abide by the rules and regulations and to organize the things to be done. The study also found that among the attitudes that the school managers take on when they implement discipline are encouragement and rewarding instead of prohibition, and identifying the reasons for, and preventing, indiscipline. Based on these findings, it was concluded that the majority of school administrators have preventive approaches towards indiscipline. Some school managers have such attitudes as forcing the employees to act properly, developing an attitude towards the undisciplined personnel, and threatening which shows that they have corrective approach towards indiscipline. School managers that punish the undisciplined personnel in line with the requirements of laws and regulations by giving justifications have the punitive-prohibitive discipline approach which is based on punishment and prohibitions. A small amount of school managers that participated in the study was found to have a revenge-based discipline approach towards the undisciplined employees. It was concluded that managers in this group develop such approaches as waiting for the undisciplined behaviors that require heavy punishment; not helping the personnel in their difficult times, and depriving them of their rights. Based on the findings, it can be said that school managers are knowledgeable with the definition and aims of discipline; that they usually have the preventive approaches towards indiscipline; and that there are very few school managers that have revenge-based approaches towards indiscipline.