THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PEDAGOGICAL FORMATION TRAINING CERTIFICATE PROGRAM PROSPECTIVE TEACHERS’ CRITICAL THINKING ATTITUDES AND THEIR PERCEPTIONS ON PROFESSIONAL ETHICAL PRINCIPLES

This research aims to analyze the relationship between pedagogical formation training certificate program prospective teachers’ critical thinking attitudes and their perceptions on professional ethical principles. The study used relational screening model and convenience sampling method which is one of the purposeful sampling methods. The participants consisted of 393 prospective teachers from different majors such as mathematics, physics, chemistry, health, biology, philosophy, religious culture, Turkish language and literature, music, painting and ceramics. The study deployed two data collection tools and personal information form. "Critical Thinking Attitude Scale" and "Code of Professional Ethics Scale". Descriptive statistics, Pearson product-moment correlation, multivariate variance analysis were used during the data analysis. Research results have indicated a medium level of relationship between the critical thinking attitude of prospective teachers and their professional ethical principles. Also, the dimensions of critical thinking attitudes such as willingness to collect information, self-regulation, inference, evidence-based decision making and openness to seek reasons dimensions were found to have a significant relationship with the professional ethical principles, and the five variables account for about 13% of the professional ethical principles. Taking the significance tests of the regression coefficients into consideration, the dimensions of willingness to collect information, self-regulation and openness to seek reasons are regarded as the significant predictors of the professional ethical principles. Based upon the research findings, the following recommendations are provided: The availability of critical thinking and democratic education courses within the teaching certificate program or the inclusion of critical thinking and professional ethical principles in the pedagogical formation courses based on the subject will provide prospective teachers to have positive critical thinking attitudes and professional ethical principles. As a result, they will ensure students to gain critical thinking skills during the teaching process, and they are to show ethical behaviors towards their profession. Critical thinking and professional ethical principles can be examined via experimental and qualitative researches and different measurement tools.  Article visualizations

An Examination of Teachers’ Views Regarding the Conformity of Social Studies Textbooks to the Critical Thinking Standards

This present study aims to describe the classroom teachers’ views towards the conformity of elementary school 4th grade social studies textbooks to the critical thinking standards. A descriptive study, this research is a screening model. The sample of the study constitutes 122 classroom teachers. As a data collection tool; a scale was developed with a view to determining the compliance of elementary school 4th grade social studies textbooks with critical thinking standards. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) along with descriptive statistics was used to analyze the data. Whether the conformity of elementary school 4th grade social studies textbooks to the critical thinking standards differ by gender was examined, it was found that the difference was statistically significant in favor of male teachers; moreover, it does not show a significant difference in terms of gender and seniority, gender and participation in-service training regarding the examination of textbooks, gender and participation in course / seminar on critical thinking, gender and faculties they graduated

The Relationship between Secondary School Students’ Epistemological Beliefs and Critical Reading Levels

This study attempts to depict the secondary school eighth grade students’ epistemological beliefs and their critical reading in terms of several variables and to examine the relationship between them. Descriptive and relational survey models were used within the scope of the study. The population of the study consisted of the secondary school eighth grade students studying in Istanbul. The participants were selected by convenience sampling method. The study deployed personal information form, scientific epistemological belief and critical reading scales. Descriptive statistics, multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and correlation analysis were used during data analysis. The study results concluded that the eighth grade students’ epistemological beliefs and their critical reading levels were at a moderate level. While no significant difference was identified across the students’ epistemological beliefs in terms of their gender, academic achievement, socio-economic level and book reading, a significant difference was noted across their critical reading levels in terms of gender, academic achievement and book reading, but that was not the case for their socio-economic level. The results of the research have useful implications for teachers. While teachers develop students’ epistemological beliefs in the teaching environment, they will also develop their critical reading skills

An Analysis of Secondary School Students’ Views Regarding Basic Democratic Values in terms of Several Variables

This research aims to explore secondary school students’ views regarding basic democratic values in terms of several variables. The research has utilized the cross-sectional survey model, which is one of the descriptive survey models. The population of the research consists of secondary school students studying at schools located within the province of Elazig. The research sample holds a total of 440 secondary school students studying at secondary schools located within the province of Elazig during 2016-2017 academic year. The participants have been selected by stratified sampling method. This research has deployed personal information form and basic democratic values as data collection tools. Descriptive statistics and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) have been used during data analysis. Research results have suggested that secondary school students have a “high” level of participation regarding basic democratic values scale. While a significant difference has been identified across the dimensions of the basic democratic values in terms of gender, class level, academic achievement and socio-economic levels of the schools, parents’ educational status is free from any significant difference. Based upon the research findings, various recommendations have been provided. Future studies may be conducted on parents’ views regarding basic democratic values. Basic democratic values adopted by the students studying at schools with different socio-economic levels should be sought through observations

An Examination of the Activities in the Unit "Solar System And Eclipses" in the 6th Grade Science Textbook in Terms of Critical Thinking Standards

The science curriculum aims to provide students with the identity of a researcher, thinking skills, and scientific process skills. Critical thinking skill emerges as one of the skills that should be emphasized in the teaching process in terms of its structural features and the qualities aimed to be given to individuals. For individuals to gain critical thinking skills, they must first gain critical thinking standards. The main purpose of this research is to examine the activities in the "Solar System and Eclipses" unit in the sixth-grade science textbook in terms of critical thinking standards. The qualitative research model was used in the research. The data source of the research is the sixth-grade science textbook used in the province of Isparta. The data of the research were collected using the document analysis method. In the analysis of the data, the analysis was made by applying the descriptive analysis method, one of the qualitative data analyses. In line with the analysis, in terms of critical thinking standards, the secondary school sixth-grade science textbook has been determined to meet the standards of clarity, accuracy, significance/relevance, sufficiency, breadth/depth, and precision at a high rate. Based on the research results, suggestions have been developed that textbooks from different disciplines should be examined in line with critical thinking standards and that the activities of different grade-level units in the science curriculum should be examined in terms of critical thinking standards

An Analysis of the Relationship Between the Pre-Service Teachers’ Curriculum Literacy and Their Preparedness to Teach

This study attempts to determine the relationship between the pre-service teachers’ curriculum literacy and their preparedness to teach. Having a quantitative research design, the study employed the corelational survey model. The sample consisted of 373 pre-service teachers studying in the departments of Arabic, science, primary school mathematics, English, classroom, social sciences and Turkish education. The participants were chosen by the convenience sampling method. This study deployed "Curriculum Literacy Scale" and "Preparedness to Teach Scale" as data collection tools. Descriptive statistics, multiple linear regression and correlation analyses were used during data analysis. The results suggested that the pre-service teachers had a high level of curriculum literacy in terms of curriculum objectives, curriculum content, teaching-learning processes and measurement-evaluation sub-factor. As for their preparedness to teach, they had a high level of participation in terms of the sub-factor of forming an effective learning environment, while a moderate level of participation related to the sub-factors of designing the instructional process, techno-pedagogical approach and understanding the learner. A positive, moderate and significant relationship was identified between the overall of the curriculum literacy scale and the sub-factors of understanding the learner, techno-pedagogical approach, and designing the instructional process, while a positive, high-level and significant relationship was found between the pre-service teachers’ curriculum literacy and the sub-factors of forming an effective learning environment. Besides, the curriculum objectives, curriculum content, teaching-learning process and measurement-evaluation, which are the sub-factors of the curriculum literacy scale, significantly predicted the pre-service teachers’ preparedness to teach

Development of Students' Critical Thinking Skills with STEM Activities in Early Childhood Science Education

This research examines how design-based STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) activities in early childhood affect the development of critical thinking skills in preschool children aged 60-72 months. The research was conducted using an action research design. The participants of the study were determined according to the purposeful sampling method. The researcher's participants consist of 15 children attending preschool education. In the study, the Critical Thinking Skill Rubric was used as a data collection tool. With this scoring key, the students' weekly work based on STEM activities was evaluated and their developments were monitored. The study was conducted with the implementation of 8 STEM scenarios. The data of the research were scored by two different scorers. Descriptive statistics were used in the analysis of the data. In the first week, it was determined that critical thinking skills were insufficient, but a significant improvement was observed in these skills during the application process. The research results show that the students enjoyed the STEM applications, their interest levels increased, and the problems experienced during the activity process decreased. Various suggestions have been presented based on the research results

2004 İlköğretim Programının “Ölçme-Değerlendirme” Boyutu İle İlgili Yapılan Araştırmaların Değerlendirilmesi

This research aimed to evaluate studies conducted on the “measurement and evaluation” dimension of 2004 primary curriculum. For that reason, descriptive scan model was used in the research. The meta-analysis and content analysis were employed to analyze research studies. The scope of the study is 49 declarations and 40 articles that were done for complementary measurement and evaluation approaches upon evaluation of new elementary curriculums between 2004 and 2011, and that could be reached by researchers. Evaluation has revealed these results: Studies are mostly between 2006 and 2010, qualitative and descriptive scan models are employed as research models, teachers are determined as target groups more, studies are conducted more in and west districts. Result and suggestions of conducted studies are included in this study, too. Lastly, evaluations based on studies are made and suggestions are developed considering result and suggestions of conducted studies.Bu araştırmada, 2004 ilköğretim programının “ölçme-değerlendirme” boyutu ile ilgili yapılan araştırmaların değerlendirilmesi amaçlanmıştır. Bunun için araştırmada betimsel tarama modeli kullanılmıştır. Araştırmaların analizinde ise meta-analiz ve içerik analizi kullanılmıştır. Araştırmanın çalışma kapsamını, 2004-2011 yılları arasında yeni ilköğretim programlarının değerlendirilmesi ile tamamlayıcı ölçme-değerlendirme yaklaşımlarına yönelik yapılmış olan ve araştırmacılar tarafından ulaşılabilen 49 bildiri ve 40 makale oluşturmaktadır. Yapılan değerlendirme sonucunda şu sonuçlara ulaşılmıştır: Araştırmaların, 2006-2010 yılları arasında yoğunlaştığı, araştırma modeli olarak nitel ve betimsel tarama modellerinin kullanıldığı, veri toplama aracı olarak en fazla anket ve görüşmenin seçildiği, hedef gruplar olarak daha çok öğretmenlerin belirlendiği, yapılan araştırmaların daha çok iç ve batı bölgelerde uygulandığı ortaya çıkmıştır. Bu çalışmada ayrıca yapılan araştırmaların sonuç ve önerilerine de yer verilmiştir. En son olarak da araştırmalara dayalı olarak yapılan değerlendirmeler ve araştırmaların sonuç ve önerileri de göz önüne alınarak öneriler geliştirilmişti

İlkokulda Disiplinlerarası Öğretime Yönelik Mevcut Durumun İncelenmesi

Bu araştırmanın amacı, öğretmen görüşlerine göre ilkokulda disiplinlerarası öğretime yönelik mevcut durumu incelemektir. Araştırmada nitel araştırma desenlerinden durum çalışması kullanılmıştır. Verilerin toplanmasında yazılı görüş alma formu ile gözlem kullanılmıştır. Araştırmada nitel veri analizlerinden biri olan betimsel analiz kullanılmıştır. Araştırmanın katılımcılarını, 2014–2015 eğitim-öğretim yılında Elazığ ili Karakoçan ilçesindeki ilkokullarda görev yapan 23 sınıf öğretmeni oluşturmaktadır. Araştırmada amaçlı örnekleme yöntemlerinden ölçüt ve maksimum çeşitlilik örnekleme yöntemleri kullanılmıştır. Yazılı olarak görüşü alınan öğretmenler belirlenirken ölçüt örnekleme, bu öğretmenler içerisinden gözlenen öğretmenler belirlenirken maksimum çeşitlilik örnekleme yöntemleri kullanılmıştır. Araştırma sonucunda; öğretmenlerin bir kavramı, konuyu ya da temayı farklı disiplinlerle ilişkilendirmelerine dikkat ettikleri, disiplinlerarası öğretim yaklaşımını uygularken zaman yetersizliği sorunu yaşadıkları görülmüştür. Öğretmenler disiplinlerarası öğretim yaklaşımında karşılaşılan sorunlara yönelik olarak öğretim programlarının, bu yaklaşımı dikkate alarak düzenlenmesi gerektiği önerisi getirmişlerdir. Yapılan gözlemde, A1 öğretmeninin, disiplinlerarası öğretim yaklaşımını gayet iyi bir şekilde uyguladığı, A2 öğretmeninin uygulayamadığı ve A3 öğretmeninin eksik uyguladığı görülmüştür