Fostering Learner Autonomy among Pre-Service EFL Teachers: A Mixed-Method Study

This study reports on the process how pre-service EFL teachers developed as autonomous learners during a 14-week period in a Turkish higher education context. The participants included 25 freshman pre-service teachers, 11 males and 14 females, studying at an English language teacher education program of a state university. A course, specifically designed to improve students’ autonomy was taken by the participants and multiple forms of data collection tools were employed throughout the study. The Autonomous Learning Scale (ALS) developed by Macaskill and Taylor (2010) was used at the beginning and the end of the course, the participants were asked to write reflection reports and they were also interviewed at the end of the process. The findings demonstrated a significant change in the autonomy level of participants, specifically a dramatic change in their independence of learning. Besides, it was found that being more aware of the self, taking charge of their own learning and changing perspectives towards the notion of learning were the biggest gains of the process for the participants. In line with literature, the findings were discussed and several suggestions were made on how to integrate autonomy practices into teacher education programs

Fostering Learner Autonomy among Pre-Service EFL Teachers: A Mixed-Method Study

This study reports on the process how pre-service EFL teachers developed as autonomous learners during a 14-week period in a Turkish higher education context. The participants included 25 freshman pre-service teachers, 11 males and 14 females, studying at an English language teacher education program of a state university. A course, specifically designed to improve students’ autonomy was taken by the participants and multiple forms of data collection tools were employed throughout the study. The Autonomous Learning Scale (ALS) developed by Macaskill and Taylor (2010) was used at the beginning and the end of the course, the participants were asked to write reflection reports and they were also interviewed at the end of the process. The findings demonstrated a significant change in the autonomy level of participants, specifically a dramatic change in their independence of learning. Besides, it was found that being more aware of the self, taking charge of their own learning and changing perspectives towards the notion of learning were the biggest gains of the process for the participants. In line with literature, the findings were discussed and several suggestions were made on how to integrate autonomy practices into teacher education programs

Bliss or woe? L2 teachers' online self-efficacy beliefs during emergency remote teaching in turbulent times

In February 2023, a massive earthquake struck the southeastern region of Turkey, leaving profound repercussions for eleven cities and thousands of people including numerous teachers and students. Once again, the need for emergency remote teaching arose and schools had to switch back to online instruction, requiring teachers as well as students to quickly adapt to the new circumstances in Turkey. This study aimed to investigate how teachers handled this situation, and focused on examining their online teacher self-efficacy beliefs. The research utilized a convergent parallel mixed-methods design, incorporating an online self-efficacy scale and focus group interviews. A total of 90 participants working at the School of Foreign Languages of a state university were included in the quantitative phase of the study, while 10 volunteers participated in the focus-groups interviews. The findings revealed that participants demonstrated a moderate level of teacher self-efficacy, which was positively influenced by their prior experiences in online teaching. However, no statistically significant variance in teacher self-efficacy level was found among teachers with varying years of overall teaching experience. Teachers expressed confidence in their abilities and a dedication to delivering their best. They acknowledged and praised their own efforts and their swift adaptation to online teaching. However, certain external factors, such as administrative and technical issues, presented challenges impacting their self-confidence. Moreover, students’ lack of motivation and disciplinary issues emerged as additional obstacles to the instructors’ self-beliefs. In line with these findings, the study points to a number of implications for addressing the challenges in online instruction

Hochgefüllte Graphit-Polymer-Compounds für Einsätze im Wärmemanagement

Heutzutage stellen aus expandiertem Graphit hergestellte Folien einen wichtigen Leichtbauersatz für Metalle dar. Die Sprödigkeit dieser Materialien unter Zug ist jedoch nachteilig. Aus diesem Grund wurden Pulver des expandierten Graphits in Polymere eingearbeitet um leitfähige Graphit-Polymer-Compounds herzustellen. Bei den hierfür verwendeten Polymeren handelte es sich um das Polyamid PA6 und Pfropfcopolymere PBAgPA12 aus dem Polyamid PA12 und dem Elastomeren PBA. Die Innenstruktur, Leitfähigkeit und Mechanik der hergestellten Extrudaten und Spritzgussplatten wurden charakterisiert. Durch die Orientierung des Graphits in den Platten dieser Compounds genauso wie in Graphitfolien, leitet dieses Material den Strom und die Wärme anisotrop. Mechanisch sind die Compounds viel belastbarer. Mit den Pforpfcopolymeren können sogar duktile wie auch elastomere Compounds hergestellt werden

Öğretmenlerin Gözüyle İngiltere’de Vatandaşlık Eğitimi

This study aims to explore the current status of citizenship education in English schools, teachers’ understanding of citizenship education, the challenges teachers face and the teaching methods they use to eliminate these challenges in the classroom. The design of this study relies on qualitative research methods where observations in Citizenship classes and interviews with teachers were conducted. The findings from this study suggest that the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects have displaced Citizenship and have been weakening it since 2010. Furthermore, the nature of the subject is being challenged by something akin to new Civics and character education in which morality and nationality were more emphasised. Though the priorities have changed for policy makers, they have not completely changed for teachers. It was clear that teachers were doing more than the curriculum required. In the future, conducting more case studies and comparative research on the state of citizenship education in different English schools are suggested.Bu çalışmanın amacı, vatandaşlık dersinin okullardaki önemi, vatandaşlık eğitiminin kavramsallaştırılması, vatandaşlık dersinde karşılaşılan güçlükler ve bu güçlükleri ortadan kaldırmak için kullanılan yöntemler konusunda İngiltere’deki mevcut durumu belirlemektir. Bu çalışma nitel araştırma yöntemlerine uygun bir şekilde tasarlanmış ve uygulanmıştır. Bu kapsamda vatandaşlık derslerinde gözlemler ve katılımcı öğretmenlerle görüşmeler yapılmıştır. Çalışmanın bulgularına bakıldığı zaman, 2010 yılından bu yana Fen, Teknoloji, Mühendislik ve Matematik (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, kısaca STEM) derslerine verilen önemin arttığı ve buna karşılık vatandaşlık dersine verilen önemin belirgin bir şekilde düştüğü görülmüştür. Dahası, vatandaşlık eğitiminin daha önceki siyaset bilimi ile ilişkilendirilen kavramsallaştırılması zayıflayarak, ahlakilik ve millilik vurgusunun yapıldığı, bilgi verilmenin amaçlandığı karakter eğitimi ve yurt bilgisi olarak adlandırılabilecek bir derse dönüşmeye başladığı belirlenmiştir. Ancak, her ne kadar siyasetçiler için öncelikler değişse de öğretmenler için durum farklıdır. Öğretmenlerin vatandaşlık eğitimi konusunda kendilerinden beklenenden daha fazlasını yaptıkları anlaşılmıştır. Bu araştırmanın bulguları ışığında; İngiltere’de vatandaşlık eğitimi konusunda farklı okullarda durum çalışmalarının ve karşılaştırmalı araştırmaların yapılması önerilebilir

Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) Level and Needs of Pre-Service English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Teachers: Evidence from Turkey

El estudio actual investigó el nivel de Conocimiento Tecnológico Pedagógico del Contenido (TPACK) y las necesidades de los futuros docentes a través de un diseño paralelo convergente. Los participantes incluyeron 120 futuros maestros de Inglés como Lengua Extranjera (ILE), 79 mujeres y 41 hombres, que estudiaban en diferentes grados en una universidad estatal en Turquía. La escala TPACK-Deep desarrollada por Kabakçı-Yurdakul et al. (2012) con respecto a diferentes aspectos de TPACK sirvió como instrumento de recopilación de datos cuantitativos y se utilizó un cuestionario abierto para recopilar datos cualitativos sobre la opinión y las necesidades de los estudiantes de magisterio. En cuanto al análisis de los datos cuantitativos, se utilizó estadística descriptiva. Por otro lado, se implementó un análisis temático para los datos cualitativos. Los hallazgos indicaron que los futuros maestros de ILE generalmente tenían un alto nivel de competencia en TPACK. Además, las necesidades de TPACK de los estudiantes de magisterio estaban relacionadas principalmente con problemas basados ​​en tecnología (TK, TCK y TPK) y el acceso a herramientas tecnológicas. Finalmente, al final del artículo, se brindan más sugerencias e implicaciones para estudios prospectivos y académicos sobre los temas mencionados anteriormente

Arap Baharı Olaylarının Orta Doğu Ekonomilerine Etkileri

Arap Baharı olayları, 2010 yılının sonlarına doğru Tunus’ta bir seyyar satıcının tezgahının zabıta tarafından kaldırılması sonucu kendini yakmasıyla başlayıp bölgeye yayılan bir isyan hareketidir. Bölge insanlarının daha fazla özgürlük ve daha fazla demokrasi taleplerinin yanı sıra çeşitli terör grupları ve dış müdahaleler sonucu büyüyen olayların ekonomik, sosyal ve siyasal birçok etkisi olmuştur. Bu çalışmada bu olayların bölge ekonomilerine etkileri incelenmiştir. Çalışmada nominal GSYH, büyüme, dış ticaret, işsizlik, enflasyon, DYY, askeri harcamalar ve dış borç stoku verileri kullanılarak grafik ve tablolar yardımıyla yapılan incelemede olaylarının bölge ekonomilerini derinden etkilediği sonucuna varılmıştır. Ayrıca çalışmada dünyanın en büyük petrol ve doğal gaz rezervlerinin bulunduğu bölgede Arap Baharı olaylarının petrol ve doğal gaz üretim ve ihracat verilerine de yer verilmiş, bölge ülkelerinin genelinde bu verilerin olumsuz etkilendiği sonucu elde edilmiştir

Covid-19 Pandemi Döneminde Makroekonomik Değişkenlerin Konut Piyasasına Etkisi

Konut piyasası barınma ihtiyacını giderme dışında önemli bir yatırım aracı olarak dikkat çekmektedir. Dünya ekonomisini derinden sarsan Covid-19 pandemisi birçok sektörü olduğu gibi konut piyasasını da etkilemiştir. Bu çerçevede çalışmanın amacı Türkiye’de Covid-19 pandemi döneminde makroekonomik faktörlerin konut piyasasına olan etkisini incelemektir. Çalışmada konut piyasasının göstergesi olarak toplam konut satışı ele alınmıştır. Konut piyasasını etkileyen makroekonomik faktörler olarak ise TÜFE, reel efektif döviz kuru, tahvil faizi, konut kredi faizi, BİST100, altın fiyatları ve istihdam oranı değişkenleri kullanılmıştır. Değişkenlerin durağanlık dereceleri için ADF ve PP birim kök testleri yapılmıştır. Ardından ARDL Sınır Testi yöntemi ile değişkenler arasındaki kısa ve uzun dönem etki incelenmiştir. Elde edilen bulgulara göre Covid-19 pandemi döneminde TÜFE, konut kredi faizi ve altın fiyatları toplam konut satışını negatif etkilerken; tahvil faizi, BİST100 ve istihdam oranı ise pozitif etkilemektedir. Reel efektif döviz kurunun ise anlamlı bir etkisinin olmadığı sonucuna ulaşılmıştır

The Acupuncture Effect on Median Nerve Morphology in Patients with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: An Ultrasonographic Study

Introduction. The aim of this study was to explore the acupuncture effect on the cross-sectional area (CSA) of the median nerve at the wrist in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and, additionally, to identify whether clinical, electrophysiological, and ultrasonographic changes show any association. Methods. Forty-five limbs of 27 female patients were randomly divided into two groups (acupuncture and control). All patients used night wrist splint. The patients in the acupuncture group received additional acupuncture therapy. Visual analog scale (VAS), Duruöz Hand Index (DHI), Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire scores, electrophysiologic measurements, and median nerve CSAs were noted before and after the treatment in both groups. Results. VAS, DHI, Quick DASH scores, and electrophysiological measurements were improved in both groups. The median nerve CSA significantly decreased in the acupuncture group, whereas there was no change in the control group. Conclusion. After acupuncture therapy, the patients with CTS might have both clinical and morphological improvement

The hepatoprotective effects of Hypericum perforatum L. on hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats

Little is known about the effective role of Hypericum perforatum on hepatic ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury in rats. Hence, albino rats were subjected to 45 min of hepatic ischemia followed by 60 min of reperfusion period. Hypericum perforatum extract (HPE) at the dose of 50 mg/kg body weight (HPE50) was intraperitonally injected as a single dose, 15 min prior to ischemia. Rats were sacrificed at the end of reperfusion period and then, biochemical investigations were made in serum and liver tissue. Liver tissue homogenates were used for the measurement of malondialdehyde (MDA), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) levels. At the same time alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were assayed in serum samples and compared statistically. While the ALT, AST, LDH activities and MDA levels were significantly increased, CAT and GPx activities significantly decreased in only I/R-induced control rats compared to normal control rats (p < 0.05). Treatment with HPE50 significantly decreased the ALT, AST, LDH activities and MDA levels, and markedly increased activities of CAT and GPx in tissue homogenates compared to I/R-induced rats without treatment-control group (p < 0.05). In oxidative stress generated by hepatic ischemia-reperfusion, H. perforatum L. as an antioxidant agent contributes an alteration in the delicate balance between the scavenging capacity of antioxidant defence systems and free radicals in favour of the antioxidant defence systems in the body