Interaction Between Academic Motivation and Student Teachers' Academic Achievement

This study sought to explore the interactions between academic motivation and academic achievement. Academic Motivation Scale (Vallerand et al. 1992) was administered to 256 English Language Teaching department students at a major state university in Ankara, Turkey. Academic achievement was measured through participants' GPA. The statistical analysis showed that participants were mostly extrinsically motivated (identified regulation), followed by intrinsic motivation (knowledge) and extrinsic motivation (external regulation). Participants reported very low amotivation. GPA correlated negatively with amotivation; positively with extrinsic identified regulation and intrinsic motivation dimensionsof knowledge and accomplishment. Amotivation emerged as the only predictor of GPA. (C) 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.Wo

Effects on vocabulary acquisition of presenting new words in semantic sets versus semantically unrelated sets

This paper reports on a study which investigated the effect on vocabulary recall of introducing new words via two different methods. A one-group quasi-experimental research design with alternating time series measures was employed. A group of 60 fourth graders were taught 80 carefully selected words either in semantically related sets or semantically unrelated sets. Also under investigation was the effect of these methods on test completion. The statistical analysis revealed that learning words in semantically unrelated sets yields better results than learning vocabulary in semantically related sets. The difference persisted in the long term. Further, test completion time was much longer for the semantically related vocabulary items, indicating a slower recall of vocabulary. The study indicated that, contrary to frequent practice in many course books, presenting new vocabulary that belongs to the same semantic set together may cause interference due to cross-association and may even hinder vocabulary learning. Such practice needs to be questioned and alternative methods that involve presenting vocabulary in unrelated sets need to be developed to facilitate vocabulary teaching and learning. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

In-Service EFL teachers’ engagement in reflexive practice via video enhanced observation

Building upon the interrelationship between learning and changing, this study investigates how cyclical engagement in reflexive practice influences the teachers’ professional development. We implemented our video-enhanced ‘Reflexive Practice Triplication Model’ which we developed in our specific context. We conducted the research with 8 secondary school teachers of English at a private K12 school in Ankara, Turkey. Drawing on multiple sources of data, we used a triangulation technique to reveal the qualitative and quantitative impact of reflexive practice. The findings showed that collaborative engagement in reflexive practice contributed substantially to EFL teachers’ professional development traceable in the changes in beliefs on reflexivity, attitudes towards collaboration, contextual and pedagogical knowledge. The study provides implications as to how reflexive practice can be used in local contexts where specific needs are to be considered.publishedVersio