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Development And Current Status Of Science Education Research In Turkey, Mustafa Sozbilir, Hulya Kutu

Essays in Education

The aim of this study is to determine the status and the trends of subject matters investigated, research methods/design and data analyses procedures used in science education research papers published in Turkey. Data were obtained from 413 papers concerning science education from 28 different journals publishing educational research in Turkey. Each paper was subjected to a content analysis in terms of the subject studied, the research design/method and data analysis methods used according to the Paper Classification Form (PCF) developed by the first author. This document analysis has showed that although the science education research is a new research enterprise …

Trends In Turkish Science Education, Muammer Calik, Suat Unal, Bayram Costu, Faik Ozgur Karatas

Essays in Education

The aim of the study is to determine the trends in Turkish Science Education on the basis of both master and doctoral theses involved. The researchers reviewed the online databases of the Higher Education Council and Proquest as well as the web page of graduate school of each university in Turkey which presents thesis archieve and investigated 444 graduate theses abstracts/fulltexts in regard to their created matrix (Year, Research Interest, Research Methodology and Sample). The document analysis has pointed out that in terms of research interest two general trends are apparent in Turkish science education research: (1) introducing science education …

Turkish Prospective Teachers Perspective Of Different Types Of Exams: Multiple Choice, Essay And Computerized-Type Testing, Neset Demirci

Essays in Education

The major aim of this study was to compare prospective teachers’ attitudes and natures toward teacher-made essay, multiple-choice type versus computerized-type exams. The primary study was conducted on a sample of 393 prospective teachers (specifically, students from 33 physics education, 93 science education, 66 computer education, and 201 elementary education departments) at Necatibey Faculty of Education, in Balıkesir, Turkey who were administered a test attitude inventory specifically designed to assess prospective teachers’ attitudes toward essay, multiple choice versus computerized type formats on a variety of critical dimensions. The data from study was pointing to more favorable prospective teachers’ attitudes towards …

Teaching Of Newton's Laws: Force And Motion: The Effectiveness Of Demonstrations, Refik Dilber

Essays in Education

In this study, we investigated effects of demonstrations on teaching of force and motion concepts compared with traditional instruction. The participants of this study consisted of 68 undergraduate students who taking the course in two different classes from the same teacher. One of the classes was assigned randomly to the control group, and the other class was assigned randomly to the experimental group. During teaching the topic of force and motion concepts in the physics curriculum, demonstrations were applied in the experimental group whereas in the control group traditional instruction was followed for the period of four weeks. As a …

Reflections Of The Understanding Of Assessment Adopted In The 4th And 5th Grade Science And Technology Curriculum In Textbooks, Zekeriya Nartgun

Essays in Education

The purpose of this study is to determine to what extent the understanding of assessment adopted in the renewed Primary Education 4th and 5th grade Science and Technology Curriculum is reflected in textbooks – student course books, student workbooks and teachers’ books- prepared by the related publishers and approved for use by the Turkish Republic of Ministry of National Education. The research is a qualitative study based on a document analysis. The analysis in the curriculum revealed that the understanding of assessment of the curriculum focused on “diversity in measurement techniques”, “multi-purpose use of measurement results” and “continuity in measurement …

An Investigation Of Some Factors Affecting Attitudes Toward Chemistry In University Education, Mustafa Ozden

Essays in Education

This is a study that explores university student attitudes toward chemistry who were taking an introductory chemistry course. Participants included freshmen enrolled in either a science teacher training program, an elementary school teacher training program or a mathematics teacher training program. 627 students were chosen from four different Education Faculties of Adıyaman, İnönü, Anadolu and Gazi University in Turkey. 348 subjects were male and 279 subjects were female students. The research instrument used 20 statements measuring students’ attitudes toward chemistry. Gender and study specialization differences in students’ attitudes toward chemistry were examined. It was found male students have more positive …

A Cross-Cultural Study: Middle School Students' Beliefs About Matter, Mary B. Nakhleh, Ala Samarapungavan, Yilmaz Saglam, Erdine Duru

Essays in Education

Turkish middle school students’ understanding of the nature of matter was examined and compared to those of US counterparts. Sixteen Turkish middle school students were interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide. The interview explored students’ understanding of the particulate nature of matter in three areas: (1) the composition of the substances; (2) the relationship between particulate structure and macroscopic properties; (3) the relationship between particulate structure and processes. The results indicated that many of the middle school students interviewed could state that matter was composed of atoms. However, the majority of them were not able to use this understanding to …

The Effects Of A Laboratory Approaches On The Development Of University Students' Science Process Skills And Conceptual Achievement, Uygar Kanli, Rahmi Yagbasan

Essays in Education

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects a laboratory based on the 7E learning cycle model with verification laboratory approach on university students’ development of science process skills and conceptual achievement.

In this study the sample consisted of 81 freshman university students who were taking the General Physics Laboratory-I- course at the university in Türkiye. In this study pretest-posttest design with control group was used. The night class students (43) who took lower weighted standard points from university entrance exam (UEE) than day class students were selected as experimental group. Day class students (38) were selected as …

Editorial, Mehmet Bahar, Huseyin Bag

Essays in Education

Editors' Note

Review Panel, Essays In Education

Essays in Education

Science and Science Education in Turkey Review Panel

Perceptions Of Primary School Teachers Regarding New Science And Technology Curriculum Of Turkey In Terms Of Teaching And Assessment Methods, Pinar Ozdemir, Sibel Guneysu

Essays in Education

The purpose of this study was to explore and investigate perceptions of the primary school teachers’ in 4th and 5th grade public schools on new science and technology curriculum in science and technology classes in Turkey. Whether primary school teachers familiar with the improvements in science and technology curriculum and whether they feel themselves adequate in terms of theoretical knowledge and application of the new approaches in science and technology lessons were also investigated.

The research type of this study includes survey and qualitative research in nature which are non-experimental research methods. The quantitative part of this study includes questionnaire …

Towards A Futuristic Educational Development In Nigeria, Charles Ayo, A. Ayodele Adebiyi

Essays in Education

Majority of the nations of t e world were colonized and went through wars at various times, but had turned around their fo unes through economic and educational reforms. In Nigeria however, there had been series of ed􀀍cational reforms from: 7/6-5-4 to 6-3-3-4 and now 9-3-4 system. Similarly, the recent reform in the higher education sector which has resulted into the conversion of the nation's higher techtjical educational institutions to degree awarding universities, which arose largely from the disphrity between the graduates of the two institutions in the labor market and the fallen standard of education. This paper presents a …

The Silent Crisis: Redefining Theoretical Approaches In Early Childhood Intervention Research With American Indians, Michael D. Niles, Lisa Byers, Elizabeth Krueger

Essays in Education

This article discusses the theoretical context of the education of American Indian children. The unique needs of American Indian children and the lack of ECI provided, as well as the major theoretical approaches used by the dominant society in ECI program development are discussed. The linear model of time and human development – the view that the dominant society traditionally holds; and the nonlinear perspective of most American Indian communities is presented.

Context, Process And Change: The Status Of Prospective Teachers' Perceptions Of Teaching Process, Abdurrahman Sahin, Hulusi Cokadar, Muhammet Usak

Essays in Education

Teacher candidates come to teacher education programs with beliefs shaped out of traditional contexts in their earlier lives. Those beliefs influence their new learning outcomes. It is therefore important for teacher education programs to identify the degree of perceptions that entry- and exit-level candidates hold. The purpose of this study is to identify and compare entry- and exit-level candidates’ degree of perceptions about teaching process and to understand if their perceptions relate to their personal variables. This is a descriptive study. The data were gathered by 28-item Teaching Process Perception Scale developed by the researchers. Collected from 267 teacher candidates …