The Content Analysis of the News in the National Papers Concerning the Renewed Primary Curriculum

WOS: 000289517300008The news in the national papers has an important role to inform the people about the content of new primary school curriculum. This study investigated the way of function with the comparison of the studies in the literature. The news concerning the renewed curriculum appearing in the national media in the period between 2004 and 2007 was obtained through document analysis and were compared to scientific studies in terms of consistency. For our purposes, 484 news articles and columns from 14 newspapers which were grouped into 3 categories were examined through document analysis. Consequently, it was found that the highest rate was in the year 2004 and that the rate of concepts decreased as the years passed by. The information on the novel curriculum was brief statements made by officials and was in the form of headings in the early years; yet in the following years such knowledge as the philosophy of the curriculum, its being student-centred as well as details of measurement and evaluation was presented. In the literature, findings related with inadequacy and content/design categories were seen taking place heavily

THE INFLUENCES OF MATHEMATICAL THINKING SKILLS ON THE SUCCESS, PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS AND ATTITUDES OF STUDENTS IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS AT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COURSE

Bu arastırma ile İlkögretim 7. sınıf Fen ve Teknoloji dersi Ya Basınç Olmasaydı? ünitesinin kazandırılmasında, yapılandırmacı ögrenme temelli matematiksel düsünme etkinliklerini içeren ögretim ile yapılandırmacı ögrenme ve normal ögretimini devam ettiren grupların akademik basarı, tutum ve problem çözme becerileri üzerine etkileri arastırılmıstır. Ayrıca matematiksel düsünme becerileri farklı düzeydeki ögrencilerin problem çözme yaklasımları ve problem çözümlerindeki hata kaynakları belirlenmeye çalısılmıstır. Matematiksel düsünme beceri düzeyleri yüksek ve düsük olan ögrencilerle yapılan görüsmelerle de süreç boyunca uygulanan yöntemin etkililigi ve uygulama süresinde karsılasılan zorluklar belirlenmeye çalısılmıstır. Arastırma sürecinde ögrencilerde bu becerilerin gelisiminin saglanabilmesi amacıyla ders içerikleri, ögrenci çalısma yaprakları, sınıf ortamı ve degerlendirme süreci yapılandırmacı ögrenme temelinde matematiksel düsünme becerilerinin gelisimine fırsat verecek sekilde düzenlenmistir. Tasarlanan etkinlikler ile ögrencilerin; problem çözmeleri, genellemeye gitmeleri, tümevarım ve tümdengelimi kullanmaları, semboller ve birimlerden faydalanmaları, mantıksal düsünmeleri ve matematiksel ispat yapmaları saglanarak ögrenme süreci zenginlestirilmistir. Bu anlamda ögrencilerin süreç boyunca Fen ve Teknoloji dersi problemlerinde matematik bilgisini ve matematiksel süreçleri kullanmaları amaçlanmıstır. Bu arastırmanın verileri hem nicel hem de nitel arastırma teknikleri ile toplanmıstır. Nicel arastırma verilerinin elde edilmesinde; ön test-son test kontrol gruplu deneysel model, nitel arastırma verilerinin toplanmasında ise olgubilim (fenomenoloji) deseni kullanılmıstır. Arastırmanın evrenini 2006-2007 egitim-ögretim yılı Kırsehir ili merkezinde bulunan 28 ilkögretim okullarındaki 7. sınıf ögrencileri olusturmaktadır. Çalısma evreninde bulunan ilkögretim okulları 7.sınıflarından sosyo-ekonomik düzeyleri denk olan ve rastgele seçilen bir deney ve iki kontrol grubu olmak üzere üç grup nicel verilerin elde edilmesi amacıyla çalısma örneklemini olusturmustur. Ders olarak 7.sınıf Fen ve Teknoloji dersi seçilmis ve programın uygulanması Ya Basınç Olmasaydı? ünitesinin islenecegi 10 haftayı kapsamıstır. Deney grubunda bulunan ögrencilere uygulama sürecinde çalısma yaprakları ve yazılı türündeki sorularla problem çözme stratejileri ve matematiksel düsünme beceri düzeyleri incelenmistir. Suzuki (1998) tarafından gelistirilmis olan matematiksel iletisim ve akıl yürütme becerileri ölçegi ile ögrencilerin matematiksel yeterlikleri yüksek (3), orta (2), düsük (1) ve gösterememe (0) seklinde sınıflandırılmıstır. Süreç boyunca; (1) Kavramsal bilgi, (2) İslemsel bilgi, (3) Akıl yürütme stratejileri, (4) İletisim ve (5) Olgunluk becerilerinin sergilenme durumları incelenmistir. Ayrıca farklı düzeylerdeki ögrencilerin problem çözümlerinde kullandıkları stratejiler üzerinde görüsmeler yapılmıstır. Bu anlamda görüsme yapılan ögrencilerin seçiminde nitel arastırma örneklemine gidilmis ve incelemeye alınan bireyler amaçlı örnekleme yöntemlerinden ölçüt örneklemesi kullanılarak seçilmistir. Nicel verilerin analizinde, SPSS 15.0 (Statistical Package For Social Sciences) paket programından yararlanılmıs ve arastırma verilerinin test edilmesinde 0.05 anlam düzeyi alınmıstır. FBAT-I, FTÖ ve PÇBBÖ verilerinin analizinde, ön-son-kalıcılık testi ortalama puanları arasında anlamlı bir farkın olup olmadıgının belirlenebilmesi amacıyla Tek Yönlü Varyans Analizi (ANOVA) kullanılmıstır. Ön-son-kalıcılık testi ortalama puanlarındaki farkın kaynagının belirlenebilmesi için Bonferroni testi yapılmıstır. Deney, Kontrol-I ve Kontrol-II gruplarındaki ögrencilerin cinsiyet özellikleri bakımından, FBAT-I, FTÖ ve PÇBBÖ son-kalıcılık testi ortalama puanları arasında anlamlı bir farkın olup olmadıgının belirlenebilmesi amacıyla bagımsız t testi kullanılmıstır. Deney grubundaki ögrencilerin matematiksel yeterlilik düzeylerinin belirlenmesi amacıyla yüzde ve frekans analizi yapılmıstır. Ayrıca deney grubunun matematiksel yeterlilik düzeyleri ile akademik basarı, tutum ve problem çözme becerileri arasındaki iliskinin belirlenmesi amacıyla Pearson Momentler Çarpımı Korelasyon Katsayısı Teknigi kullanılmıstır. Nitel verilerin analizinde, içerik analizi yöntemi kullanılmıstır. Görüsme ve doküman analizinde elde edilen sonuçlar Kategorilere göre veri gösterimi yaklasımı izlenerek sunulmustur. Arastırma sonucunda; matematiksel düsünme etkinliklerini içeren yapılandırmacı temelli ögretimin ögrencilerin akademik basarılarını, tutumlarını ve problem çözme becerilerini gelistirmede ve bunun devamının saglanmasında önemli bir etkisinin oldugu belirlenmistir. Bunun yanında deney grubu ögrencilerinin bilissel düzeyde kavrama ve uygulama düzeyindeki sorularda diger grup ögrencilerinden daha yüksek oranda dogru sonuca gitmislerdir. Bu durum onların teorik bilgileri problemlerin çözümlerinde daha etkin kullanabildiklerini ve uygulayabildiklerini göstermektedir. Ögrenciler, tüm problemlerde kavramsal bilgi, islemsel bilgi, akıl yürütme ve stratejileri ve iletisim becerini yüksek düzeyde kullandıkları ve bu becerilerinin birbirini destekler nitelikte oldugu belirlenmistir. Fen ve Teknoloji dersi problemlerinde matematiksel süreçleri yüksek düzeyde kullanan ögrenciler problem çözme süreçlerini etkin olarak kullanmıslardır. Problemlerde matematiksel süreçleri orta ve düsük düzeyde sergileyen ögrenciler; problemi kısmen tanıyıp belirlemisler, problem çözümünde büyük kavram ve hesap hataları yapmıslar ve matematiksel akıl yürütme ve formülasyon kullanmadan sezgisel çözüm kullanarak sonuca ulasmıslardır. Fen problemlerinde matematiksel süreçleri gösteremeyen ögrencilerin ise bilgiyi düzenleme ve matematik kavramları arasındaki iliskiyi bulmaya yönelik belirgin çabalarının olmadıgı görülmüstür. Deney grubu ögrencilerinin uygulama sürecine iliskin görüslerinde; sınavlardaki zaman kaygısının, yetersiz bilgi ve matematigi sevmeme durumlarının problemlerin çözümünde etkili oldugu belirlenmistir. Bunun yanında ögrencilerin matematigi sevmemesi, onların problemi sezgisel çözümlerle ve sözel ifadelerlerle açıklamalarına neden oldugu görülmüstür.This study investigates the influence of teaching through constructivist learning based teaching on student groups' academic achievement, attitudes and problem solving skills in the teaching of the unit What if there were no pressure? in Science and Technology course. Besides, attempts are made in this research to determine the problem solving approaches adopted by students with different mathematical thinking skills as well as the sources of errror. In addition to that, the efficiency of the method and the difficulties encountered in application process are also determined through interviews with students of high and low mathematical thinking skills. In the research process - to make the development of such skills- course contents, worksheets for students, classroom environment and evaluation process were designed in a way so as to facilitate the development of mathematical thinking skills to the best possibility. Students were facilitated to problem solve, make generalizations, make deductions and inductions, utilize symbols and units, make reasoning and use mathematical proving strategies, and thus their learning process was enhanced. Students' using mathematical knowledge and mathematical processes in the problems of Science and Technology were aimed at this context. The research data were collected through quantitative as well as qualitative research techniques. In obtaining the quantitative research data, an experimental model with pre-test, post-test and control group was used whereas phenomenology was employed in collecting the qualitative research data. The research universe was composed of the 7th year primary school students of the 28 primary education schools located in the city centre of Kırsehir province in the 2006-2007 academic year. A total of three groups comprising an experimental and two control groups selected at random from the 7th graders with equal socioeconomic levels was made the working sample of the research for the purpose of collecting quantitative data. Science and Technology course and the unit what if there were no pressure? were selected for the research, and the research covered a period of 10 weeks for the teaching of the unit. The control group students' problem solving strategies and their levels of mathematical thinking skills were examined through worksheets and written test questions in the course of application. With the scale of Mathematical Communication and Reasoning Skills developed by Suzuki (1988), students' levels of mathematical proficiency were classified as high (3), intermediate (2), low (1), and not being able to display (0). Throughout the process, the status of displaying (1) conceptual knowledge, (2) procedural knowledge, (3) reasoning strategies, (4) communication, and (5) maturity skills were examined. Interviews were also held concerning the strategies employed by students of different levels in solving the problems. In selecting the students interviewed, qualitative research sampling was used, and the individuals were selected through criterion sampling- one of the methods of purposeful sampling. SPSS 15.0 (Statistical Package For Social Sciences) was employed in the analysis of the quantitative data and 0.05 significance level was granted for testing the research data. In the analysis of FBAT-I, FTÖ and PÇBBÖ data, one-way ANOVA was utilized so as to determine whether there were any significant differences between the average scores of pre-test, post-test and permanence test. Bonferroni test was performed so as to identify the source of difference between the pre, post, and permanence test average scores. Apart from that, for the purpose of determining whether there were any significant differences between the average scores of FBATI, FTÖ and PÇBBÖ post-test and permanence test in terms of students' gender, t test was utilized. Pearson's Moments Multiplication Correlation Coefficient Technique was used to determine the correlations holding between the mathematical proficiency and academic achievement levels, attitudes and problem solving skills of the experimental group. Percentage and frequency analyses were conducted to determine the mathematical proficiency level of the experimental group in question. As for the analysis of the quantitative data, the method of contents analysis was employed. The results obtained through interviews and document analyses were presented pursuing the Approach of Data Demonstration on Category Basis. In consequence, constructivist based teaching containing mathematical thinking activities was found to have a significant influence over students' academic achievement, attitudes and development of problem solving skills as well as over ensuring the permanence of these skills. Besides, the fact that experimental group students achieved accurate results at a higher rate than the other groups with questions of cognitive comprehension and application demonstrated that they were able to use theoretical knowledge and put into application in solving the problems more actively. It was found that students used conceptual knowledge, reasoning and communication skills for all the problems at high levels, and that these skills supported one another. Students who were able to employ mathematical processes in Science and Technology problems at high levels were found to use problem solving processes actively. It was found that the students displaying intermediate or low levels of mathematical processes to solve problems stemmed from such reasons as recognising and identifying a problem partly, making serious conceptual and calculation mistakes, arriving at conclusions without confirmation and judgement, giving short explanations on the problem intuitively, not using mathematical reasoning and formulations. And the students who had failed to display any mathematical processes were found to have no efforts to arrange information and to identify the relations between mathematical concepts. Moreover, it was found through experimental group students' views that such factors as time anxiety during examinations, insufficient knowledge, disliking maths classes were influential over the problem solving. Beside this, students' dislike mathematics resulted in their trying intuitive solutions and making verbal explanations

Examination of Turkish Students' Opinions Related to Values in the Example of Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Turkey

WOS: 000309197300003Reflecting effective and psychomotor skills to teaching environment are as important as cognitive skills in learning process. In this context, values are important to develop skills in affective domain. In this study, the opinions of the students who have been studying in three different countries [lraq, Saudi Arabia, Turkey] were aimed to be investigated comparatively. Phenomenological Method, which is the one of qualitative data collecting methods, was used to gather the data. The study group was composed of 6th, 7th and 8th grade students in Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Turkey in 2009-2010 education term by the principles maximum variability sampling. In the study to collect the data, a researcher developed collecting tool including 9 values was used. The students hand writing compositions and pictures were taken as basic data source. After examining the writings, more concepts were seen in helpfulness, patriotism and responsibility values were seen on the other hand scientific values were seen at least level of all. In action and symbol categories, the students in Turkey and in Religion category in Iraq have raised. The levels of students in Turkey and Saudi Arabia in scientific value were lowest, peace and freedom values in Iraq were seen at lowest level. In visual expressions of students' honesty, responsibility and respect were seen as rare emphasized value. Moreover, in visual expressions of students in Iraq, respect and patriotism were highest but honesty and responsibility were stated at lowest level; in Saudi Arabia peace was the highest but respect and honesty were at lowest level; in Turkey responsibility was the lowest but peace and patriotism values were at the highest level

Out-of-the-school learning environments in values education: science centres and museums

4th World Conference on Educational Sciences (WCES) -- FEB 02-05, 2012 -- Univ Barcelona, Barcelona, SPAINWOS: 000314465902167This study focuses on the importance of using out-of the school learning environments in values education. A case study, one of the qualitative research designs, was employed in this study. A group of 55 students was formed with the second and third year students of the Faculty of Education, and science centres (Feza Gursey Science Centre) and museums (Rahmi Koc Science Museum, Ataturk's Mausoleum-historical museum) were chosen for application as out-of-the-school learning environments in the application process. Categorical analysis was performed in the analyses of the data. The research results demonstrated that definition category was used most in the value of aesthetics; results category was used most in sensitivity to cultural heritage, and examples category was used most in patriotism category. Besides, scientific, solidarity and aesthetic values were further explained through examples after the application. Following the application, it was observed from students' answers that definitioins were usually replaced by results and examples. This showed that out-of-the-school learning environments contributed to the process of students' concretizing their knowledge.(C) 2012 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and/or peer review under responsibility of Prof. Dr. Huseyin UzunboyluAcad World Educ & Res Ctr, Near E Univ, Bahcesehir Univ, Ankara Univ, Hacettepe Univ, Cyprus Educ Sci Asso

The Use of Out-of-the-School Learning Environments for the Formation of Scientific Attitudes in Teacher Training Programmes

AbstractThe current research employing a case study, one of the qualitative research designs aims to examine the effects of out-of-the-school learning environments on prospective teachers’ scientific attitudes. Maximum sampling, a purposeful sampling method, was employed in this research, and the study group was composed of the students attending the faculty of education. The data were collected through the “Scientific Attitudes Views Form” (SAVF) developed by the researcher, and were subject to content analysis. Consequently, it was found that out-of-the-school learning environments, especially science centers, had positive influences in students’ attitudes towards science. Moreover, it was also found that the students established associations between science and daily life and that they were of the opinion that science was necessary for comprehending nature/environment and for facilitating the life. Following the application, the number of students wishing to be a scientist was seen to increase; which was supportive of the findings

Clinical and molecular evaluation of MEFV gene variants in the Turkish population: a study by the National Genetics Consortium

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is a monogenic autoinflammatory disorder with recurrent fever, abdominal pain, serositis, articular manifestations, erysipelas-like erythema, and renal complications as its main features. Caused by the mutations in the MEditerranean FeVer (MEFV) gene, it mainly affects people of Mediterranean descent with a higher incidence in the Turkish, Jewish, Arabic, and Armenian populations. As our understanding of FMF improves, it becomes clearer that we are facing with a more complex picture of FMF with respect to its pathogenesis, penetrance, variant type (gain-of-function vs. loss-of-function), and inheritance. In this study, MEFV gene analysis results and clinical findings of 27,504 patients from 35 universities and institutions in Turkey and Northern Cyprus are combined in an effort to provide a better insight into the genotype-phenotype correlation and how a specific variant contributes to certain clinical findings in FMF patients. Our results may help better understand this complex disease and how the genotype may sometimes contribute to phenotype. Unlike many studies in the literature, our study investigated a broader symptomatic spectrum and the relationship between the genotype and phenotype data. In this sense, we aimed to guide all clinicians and academicians who work in this field to better establish a comprehensive data set for the patients. One of the biggest messages of our study is that lack of uniformity in some clinical and demographic data of participants may become an obstacle in approaching FMF patients and understanding this complex disease