Contemporary Approaches in Education 9783631661642, 9783653059687

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“Contemporary Approaches in Education” presents papers of the Fifth European Conference on Social and Behavioral Sciences in St. Petersburg, Russia and the Sixth European Conference on Social and Behavioral Sciences in Selcuk, Izmir, Turkey. The contributions deal with a wide range of educational issues, namely teaching and learning, educational policy and school psychology. The Editors Kevin Norley is a lecturer in functional skills of English and Math at Bedford College. He also teaches on the college’s Sounds-Write program, is a member of the college’s Research Network and a fellow of the Institute for Learning. Mehmet Ali Icbay is an assistant professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Turkey. His main interests are rooted in the ethnomethodological account of social organization in classroom settings. Hasan Arslan is an associate professor at the Onsekiz Mart University of Çanakkale, Turkey. His research interests include educational administration, student leadership, multicultural education, and higher education policy.

ISBN 978-3-631-66164-2

www.peterlang.com

Norley / Icbay / Arslan (eds.)

Contemporary Approaches in Education

Contemporary Approaches in Education

Kevin Norley / Mehmet Ali Icbay / Hasan Arslan (eds.)

Kevin Norley / Mehmet Ali Icbay /  Hasan Arslan (eds.)

Contemporary Approaches in Education

“Contemporary Approaches in Education” presents papers of the Fifth European Conference on Social and Behavioral Sciences in St. Petersburg, Russia and the Sixth European Conference on Social and Behavioral Sciences in Selcuk, Izmir, Turkey. The contributions deal with a wide range of educational issues, namely teaching and learning, educational policy and school psychology. The Editors Kevin Norley is a lecturer in functional skills of English and Math at Bedford College. He also teaches on the college’s Sounds-Write program, is a member of the college’s Research Network and a fellow of the Institute for Learning. Mehmet Ali Icbay is an assistant professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Turkey. His main interests are rooted in the ethnomethodological account of social organization in classroom settings. Hasan Arslan is an associate professor at the Onsekiz Mart University of Çanakkale, Turkey. His research interests include educational administration, student leadership, multicultural education, and higher education policy.

www.peterlang.com

Norley / Icbay / Arslan (eds.)

Contemporary Approaches in Education

Contemporary Approaches in Education

Kevin Norley / Mehmet Ali Icbay / Hasan Arslan (eds.)

Kevin Norley / Mehmet Ali Icbay /  Hasan Arslan (eds.)

Contemporary Approaches in Education

Contemporary Approaches in Education

Kevin Norley / Mehmet Ali Icbay / Hasan Arslan (eds.)

Contemporary Approaches in Education

Bibliographic Information published by the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek The Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbibliografie; detailed bibliographic data is available in the internet at http://dnb.d-nb.de. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Contemporary approaches in education / Kevin Norley, Mehmet Ali Icbay, Hasan Arslan (eds.). pages cm Conference papers. Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 978-3-631-66164-2 1. Education–Congresses. I. Norley, Kevin. II. Icbay, Mehmet Ali. III. Arslan, Hasan. L107.C49 2015 370–dc23 2015029963 This book is the scholar work of International Association of Social Science Research (IASSR). It is also printed with the financial support from IASSR. The manuscripts in this book are compiled from the full texts from the annual conferences organized by International Association of Social Science Research. They are first reviewed by the independent reviewers, and then proof-read and edited by the editors. The opinions and views expressed in articles are not necessarily those of this volume’s editors.

  ISBN 978-3-631-66164-2 (Print) E-ISBN 978-3-653-05968-7 (E-Book) DOI 10.3726/978-3-653-05968-7 © Peter Lang GmbH Internationaler Verlag der Wissenschaften Frankfurt am Main 2015 All rights reserved. PL Academic Research is an Imprint of Peter Lang GmbH. Peter Lang – Frankfurt am Main ∙ Bern ∙ Bruxelles ∙ New York ∙ Oxford ∙ Warszawa ∙ Wien All parts of this publication are protected by copyright. Any utilisation outside the strict limits of the copyright law, without the permission of the publisher, is forbidden and liable to prosecution. This applies in particular to reproductions, translations, microfilming, and storage and processing in electronic retrieval systems. This publication has been peer reviewed. www.peterlang.com

Foreword The book Contemporary Approaches in Education is a collection of research papers on a wide range of educational issues written by educators and researchers from several different institutions. The first chapter, Learning and Teaching, opens with a paper by Gürses, Doğar, and Dalga which bases itself on the premise that in Interactive Direct Teaching Based on Constructivist Learning (IDTBCL), learning can be evaluated as a changeoriented or mental process. They set out to show that this model promotes a more active role for the students in which they take into account the importance of concepts as mental elements in order to develop positive attitudes not only toward science and learning, but also toward scientific process skills which in turn will help them increase their achievements. The paper argues that the students who took part in the study developed a positive attitude toward the IDTBCL model and that through making the learning environments more dynamic, comfortable, and interesting, the model is a promising alternative solution to the traditional teaching approach based upon memorising. The study by Ahmetoğlu, Ercan, Ildiz, and Ergin aimed to investigate the classroom management skills of preschool teachers in terms of a range of variables. The study sample consisted of 175 voluntary preschool teachers who teach in independent kindergartens, preschools within primary schools, and in private nursery schools. The research study, which used a “relational scanning” model, concluded that the classroom management skills of the preschool teachers considered in the study were not statistically significant in terms of the variables tested (teachers’ ages, work branches, etc.). The investigation also showed that preschool teachers consider that they have good classroom management skills and that the training they get during their graduate education is influential on those skills. In order to explore the nature of teacher-student interaction in an English language teaching and learning environment, the study by Tuyan aims to examine the features of teacher-student interactions at a school of foreign languages at Çukurova University, Turkey. The research study focuses on The Interpersonal Perspective on Teacher Behaviour, which involves the Communicative Systems Approach and The Model for Interpersonal Teacher Behaviour, which aims to reflect the possible behaviours that teachers display in the classroom. The study, which involved 209 students and nine teachers, examines the correlation between pairs of teacher behaviour dimensions and draws conclusions. Uğur and Azizoğlu’s paper is based on an analysis of how textbooks transfer social values to Turkish children living abroad. Using a survey model for the research study, their results

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show that the arithmetic mean of the social values transferred by texts in Turkish language and culture textbooks is higher than that of others. The paper argues that Turkish children living abroad should be conscious about their national, as well as global, values in order to grow up as socially integrated individuals, without losing their own cultural identity. As such, it concludes that texts in the Turkish language, along with Turkish culture course books, should be carefully selected. The aim of the study by Öztürk and Öztürk is to examine candidate teachers’ attitudes towards the course “Turkish Republic Revolution History and Kemalism” with respect to different variables and to make practical suggestions in light of data obtained. The research population consisted of 180 candidate teachers, all volunteers, who began studying at the Ordu University Faculty of Education in the 2013–2014 academic year. In order to reveal the candidate teachers’ attitudes toward the course, the research study was based on a survey model. The course was delivered across three departments by the same lecturer. The study concludes that the attitudes of candidate teachers towards the course differ by gender and department. The aim of the paper by Özer is to underline the necessity to increase the sense of responsibility with regard to elegant handwriting. In addition, it aims to increase the value attached to the action of elegant handwriting and the number of people who are capable of appreciating and displaying such writing. Coming from the perspective that music can contribute to language development, and also the social, psychomotor, and intellectual development, of children from their early childhood education and onwards, Arslan’s paper aims to assess a music program implemented in elementary schools using classroom teachers’ opinions. The research study was carried out using the analytic method and the research data were collected through a survey. 80 teachers participated in the research study, which was carried out during the second term of the 2013–2014 academic year. In the research study, a fivepoint Likert type questionnaire consisting of 26 questions was used in order to identify the opinions of classroom teachers on the music program. The study makes a number of recommendations including advocating that in order to improve the current situation, teachers should structure their music lessons by using different teaching methods and that students in teaching schools should be educated to a sufficient level that would allow them to give competent music lessons. In analysing and comparing (reviewing) the non-verbal and written communication in Boris Pasternak’s novel “Doctor Zhivago,” Kalender identifies a total of ten written communication instruments and 76 examples of nonverbal communication components, which consists of different expressions of the head, face, hands, arms, and all body gestures. The author examines and analyses sentences from the literary work, which are identified as examples of nonverbal communication, and events and situations which require nonverbal communication. Acknowledging the fact

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that the evolving global economy, technology, and professional development have created additional requirements for employees concerning their knowledge and skills, with the education sector being no exception, the aim of Kalelioğlu’s study is to introduce an e-instructor certificate program and then evaluate it by examining the reflections of the participants. This qualitative case study is carried out with eight participants who enrolled in the e-instructor certificate program at a private university in Ankara, Turkey. The paper concludes that according to the results, it can be said that the e-instructor certificate program met the participants’ expectations. The paper by Kurudayioğlu and Yilmaz seeks to determine the persuasion and propaganda techniques in the persuasive texts written by students. The participants to the study were 30 undergraduate students in the third year of their programme at the Department of Turkish Education, Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University, in the first semester of the 2013–2014 academic year. The research study was conducted with 17 male and 13 female participants. The technique of descriptive analysis, which describes the data collected systematically and clearly according to predetermined themes, was utilised in the evaluation of the data obtained from the students. In the study, the researchers reveal which persuasion and propaganda techniques are preferred by the students and lecturers and the number of the most used techniques. Having observed that teachers of English as a foreign language working at primary schools in Gostivar, Macedonia rarely correct their student’s written work, Ejupia and Elezi set out, in their study, to investigate students’ beliefs concerning written error correction in order to guide the teachers on how to approach their students’ written work and hence, raise their awareness concerning the issue. Specifically, the study aims to find out which method of error correction is the most preferred and valuable in the opinion of the students and hence, what kind of feedback the teachers should give to their students. The target groups of this research study were 165 pupils in the eighth and ninth grades per school. Amongst the report’s conclusions, is supports the idea of combining traditional and modern methods of written error correction. The purpose of the study by Dede was to examine teachers’ number sense on the basis that it has a significant role in the improvement of the number sense in their respective students. The participants were comprised of 464 senior students enrolled in faculties that provide training for elementary and secondary school mathematics teachers, from five universities located in three different regions of Turkey. A number sense test, developed by the researchers and comprising 31 multiple-choice questions, was used as a data collection tool in the study and a survey model was adopted in order to describe and interpret the data. The report argues, amongst its findings, that the awareness teachers have about number sense, and its importance, can be raised by means of a professional training program in number sense. In the paper by Ajdini,

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all gathered data, comprising of 100 translations of 250–300 words, is exposed to quantitative and qualitative analysis with the aim of detecting, as well as identifying, translation competency implementation from the perspective of mother tongue interference impacting on fields such as grammar, syntax, semantics, and lexis. The author argues that translation equivalency efficiency is one of the factors which plays a key role in overall translation competency implementation and that, seen as a relationship between two texts in combination, equivalency in translation needs to be approached very carefully in terms of the overall meaning transfer from the student’s native language to the language being studied. The research study by Yaman, Tulumcu, and Tolaman aims to examine the problems experienced in teaching grammar from the perspective of pre-service teachers’ observations. The study group consisted of 60 students who took “School Experience,” “Teaching Practice,” and “Grammar Teaching” courses during the 2013–2014 academic year in the Department of Turkish Teaching in the Faculty of Education in Sakarya University. For their study, a phenomenological research design, which focuses on phenomena which we are aware of, but of which we do not have an in-depth and detailed comprehension of, was used by the authors. A “semi-structured interview form” was used in which the pre-service teachers were asked to answer the question: “What are the problems experienced in teaching grammar?” Content analysis was used in analysing the data. In recognising that the teaching of the English language has long been riddled with many different techniques and methods, the study by Göktepe sets out to evaluate teaching strategies as they pertain to student-teacher attitude towards compulsory English instruction and the rate of knowledge retention amongst those students. 23 English for Specific Purposes teachers (19 female and four male) from an medium-sized English university in Turkey voluntarily participated in the study which employed a survey methodology that allowed for the gathering of both qualitative and quantitative data and the statistical analysis of several variables. Included in the findings, the author notes that many of the Turkish instructors report that their students do not see the need for learning English, or learning it in the way that they are taught, nor do they employ the appropriate strategies that will allow them to learn English effectively. The aim of the study by Şahin and Saridaş is to determine, from metaphors, the perceptions of classroom teachers with regard to the design of future learning environments. The research study, which bases itself on a qualitative structure, utilises a phenomenological model. The participants of the study, who were selected by means of maximum variation sampling, consisted of 60 classroom teachers serving in Canakkale in the 2014–2015 academic year. With regard to the method for collecting data, the researchers developed and used a “Metaphors of Future Learning Environments Questionnaire.” Additionally, for data analysis, they utilised content analysis for the

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data obtained from the study. In order to facilitate the analysis of textbooks in their research study, Mihriban, Karadeniz, and Göl employ the document analysis method. The findings obtained from the analysis were presented in two stages, as findings obtained from primary and secondary education mathematics textbooks. The authors conclude that integrating the biographies of mathematicians into textbooks is of real importance as it enables the students to learn of the significance of human endeavour in relation to mathematics discoveries. It does however acknowledge the under-representation of female mathematicians through stating the fact that it is only male mathematicians who are mentioned in the textbooks. The second chapter contains papers on educational policy. In Akyol’s study, the process of decision-making is compared with management and is discussed in relation to how it includes considering situations in order to choose one way of acting among the alternatives available. The paper argues that each organisation’s goals should aim towards improving the quality of its decisions and that the effects and sense of satisfaction produced by decisions at the lower levels are the most important keys for organisational success. The research study by Kişlali sets out to examine freshman expectations from the banking and insurance department of a newly established school of applied sciences in Turkey. The rationale for the study is that individuals’ perceptions and expectations are important in helping to define success factors in higher education and that freshman expectations are thought to be free from any prejudice caused by previous experience in higher education. For the purposes of the study, which used qualitative research methods, the freshmen were asked to briefly write about their expectations of the school of applied sciences. 55 freshmen out of 58 responded and their answers were summarised under 15 items. From the group, 21 of the volunteers agreed to do one-to-one interviews. The analyses showed that no contradiction or prominent difference was detected between what they wrote about their expectations and what they mentioned in the interviews. However, on the other hand, the report recommends that a combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches is adopted for future studies and that geographic limitations are avoided in order to extend the scope of the study and increase its reliability level. With experimental and control groups determined by using the objective sampling method, Alkan and Koçak set out to investigate the role of technology in teaching activities with a study group of 106 pre-service teachers enrolled at Hacettepe University, Faculty of Education. While simulationsupported web-based instruction is used in the experimental group, the traditional teacher-centred instruction approach is used for the control group. The researchers provide results which show that web-based instruction has been influential in the improvement of the opinions of the pre-service teachers on the role of technology in education-instruction activities. Amongst their conclusions, they

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argue that web-based learning expands the learning framework of students by providing them with an unlimited learning environment and adds a new dimension to the traditional classroom setting with the inclusion of real-life applications and assessments. In their study, Acarli, Koçak, and Alkan set out to investigate the reasons why high school students attend private courses. In the research study, a questionnaire was used by the researchers in order to collect data and determine the students’ reasons for going to private courses (six questions) and their opinions about private courses (five questions). The results showed that the students believe that there is a necessity for private courses, in part due to the current education system’s emphasis on exams. The study suggests that the reasons for the need for private courses should be investigated and that accordingly, there should be appropriate improvements made in the education system. In their paper, Akdoğan and Şeker argue that the gap between the application of accounting and accounting education can be reduced by increasing the effectiveness of accounting education. They also point out that the major expectations of accounting training is to create an environment that provides students with required knowledge and qualifications in accounting. The research data set is based on the courses of business administration departments in Turkey’s 196 public and private universities and, in order to present the current conditions of this topic, the researchers use the descriptive model. From the data, the researchers compare the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System values and note, amongst the results, that there are some differences between the values among the public and private universities. On the basis that the research has shown that teachers lack knowledge, skills, and sometimes motivation to successfully teach in a culturally heterogeneous classroom, and that this in turn impacts upon the integration of individuals from different cultures into society, the aim of the study by Arslan and Satici is to examine and discuss the intercultural competence levels of pre-service teachers through facilitating the interaction of people from different regions of Turkey in schools and classrooms. The authors’ research study uses a survey method to describe the levels of intercultural sufficiency within a group of candidate teachers who began work at governmental schools in districts within Kocaeli in the 2012–2013 academic year. The data were collected through 292 questionnaires that were completed by the participants of the survey. Having acknowledged and outlined the importance and significance of vocational technical schools, and their teachers, in creating a qualified workforce in industry, Ira sets out to examine and discuss the current state of teacher training in vocational technical education in Turkey. The author sets the context through tracing the history of vocational technical education in Turkey and identifies and makes suggestions for solving a range of issues related to its current standing in the country. On the basis that previous studies

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have shown a correlation between environmental education and positive attitudes towards the environment, Sali, Körükçü, and Akyol set out in their research study to elicit the environmental knowledge and environmental awareness of 130 preschool teachers serving in the province of Yozgat. Personal information forms and environmental awareness questionnaires, designed by the researchers, were used as data collection tools in the study. A relational survey model was implemented in the research study and the results were analysed. A weak relationship was observed between attitudes toward the environment and environmentally friendly behaviours and between attitudes toward the environment and environmental knowledge of preschool teachers; a very weak relationship was found between environmentally friendly behaviours and environmental knowledge. The paper by Sipitanou and Charilkeia is an empirical study in the field of school education; it attempts to investigate the possible relationship between the quality of educational work at the school level and the degree of leadership efficiency of the school principal. The study took place in Thessaloniki, Greece and the research sample, which consisted of 313 secondary teachers, independent of their gender, age, and working experience, were asked to assess the leading competency of their principal as well as the quality of educational work. For the collection of data, the quantitative method was used. More specifically, a questionnaire separated into two parts with closed ended questions was used. The first part of the questionnaire examined the quality of educational work with a five-point Likert scale. To investigate the possible relationship between the degree of leadership efficiency of the principal and the quality of the teaching work, a correlation analysis was applied. The paper concurs with other research studies in its conclusion that leadership is a significant factor which affects the efficiency of a school and that the training of school principals is essential. The aim of the study by Zembat, Adagideli, Akşin, Çobanoğlu, Gölbaşi, Kiliç, and Usbaş was to determine the problems preschool teachers and administrators face in the managerial area. A literature review was carried out regarding management problems in preschool educational institutions and a semi-structured interview was created by the researchers. 76 participants (15 administrators and 61 teachers) were chosen from İstanbul using an appropriate sampling method. “Descriptive analysis,” which is one of the qualitative research methods, was used in the study. The data gathered for descriptive analysis were summarised and interpreted according to predetermined themes. The four themes most frequently highlighted by teachers were: problems with management staff, shortcomings of educational environment, the fact that the preschool education field is not taken seriously, and problems of communication and dialogue. In the paper by Kiral and Totur, the document analysis method is used to analyse the education systems of Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, and Hong Kong (known as

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the four Asian Tigers due to their significant roles in the world economy). In addition, the curricula at all levels (pre-school education, primary education, secondary education, higher education, vocational and technical education, and special needs education), educational statistics, and investment in education in these countries are compared and contrasted. An expanded literature search as a descriptive research method is used in this study in order to present the findings of the research study in an organised and analytical way to the readers. The researchers note amongst their findings that by virtue of the countries’ educational policies, they have a remarkable record of high and prolonged economic growth. They also note that the countries’ investment in education, and education policies, are vindicated by the fact that they emerge amongst the leading performers on the Program for International Student Assessment. With women representing around half of all people employed in educational institutions, Göl and Sevinc set out in their study to investigate the reasons why only 6% of them have a postgraduate education degree. The research population consisted of 21 women teachers that work at the researchers’ schools and do not have postgraduate education degrees. In order to examine their experiences, the research design was based on the descriptive survey model which is one of the qualitative research methods. The data were acquired in face-to-face interviews using semi-structured interview forms and was analysed using the content analysis method. Included amongst the results was the observation that whilst single participants have a positive opinion of postgraduate education, married ones with no children and those between 20–29 years of age are less motivated in acquiring a postgraduate education degree. The results also found that participants married with children and in their 30s or over found that there were too many barriers for them to overcome to achieve a postgraduate education. The paper by Erigüç and Eriş sets out to identify the relationship between academic success and time management skills of students enrolled at Harran University Vocational School of Health Services. Various socio-demographic characteristics were taken into account, including age, gender, program, year of study, and residence, in order to determine the relationship. The study group consisted of 105 students who responded to a questionnaire that was comprised of three sections. Additionally, descriptive statistics were used in the analysis of data obtained within the scope of the survey. The authors argue that knowing the importance of time management will help people to become skilful at time management. The third chapter is dedicated to school psychology. The aim of the paper by Ince and Kasapoğlu is to seek answers to questions relating to school masters’ self-monitoring levels. The research study is a descriptive survey and the population study is composed of elementary and middle school masters who work in

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Osmaniye, Turkey. At the end of the research study, recommendations are made for further analyses, as follows: 1) investigation of why school administrators working in villages show significant differences on the self-monitoring scale items compared with other groups, 2) investigation of whether there is a relationship between the economic possibilities of the schools and the high self-monitoring level of the groups which have very low and very high average annual income compared with the group which has middle average annual income, 3) exploration of the self-monitoring levels of candidates during oral examinations for the selection of school administrators, and 4) providing school administrators with proper training in order to enable them to adjust their actions and reactions to specific situations encountered in their daily routine. The research study by Koca attempts to investigate the perception of female students attending maritime institutions of higher education in Turkey and who are planning to work in the sector. The aim of the study is to see how a climate of gender discrimination and prejudice affects their student life. The analysis is based on a case-study, namely the Barbaros Maritime School of the Kocaeli University. The study uses the survey technique to gather the data which was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences. The results showed that there is a statistically significant correlation between gender and gender discrimination and prejudice. The author of the research study plans for it to contribute to the literature, as it explains the relationship between gender discrimination and prejudice in the maritime sector, one of the sectors where male employees are predominant, by revealing the perception on gender discrimination and prejudice through sampling. It also aims to point out the importance of training and employing females in the maritime sector which is a growing sector in Turkey. In the introduction of their paper, Aydin, Bekir, and Çiçek discuss the important issue of children who witness family violence becoming more likely to become parents who themselves act violently, or become victims of violence, as a result of becoming accustomed to violence during their childhood and adolescence. The authors argue that that in order to help halt the cycle of violence, carrying out research on current university students, who may become educated parents of the future generation, can create the possibility to intervene at an early stage. The research study aims to develop a scale in order to determine the degree of “witnessing violence of the father against the mother during childhood and adolescence” of the study group which consisted of 200 male students who studied in different departments of the Gazi University Faculty of Tourism in the 2011–2012 academic year. Ogelman adopts a relational survey method in order to investigate the effect of the environmental attitudes of parents on the environmental attitudes of preschool children. The sample group of the study consisted of 99 children (59 male and 40 female) aged five to six years

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in preschool education, 99 mothers, and 99 fathers in the province of Denizli, Turkey. The research study argues that as parents are the first teachers, role models, and guides of their children, their own environmental awareness impacts upon their children’s environmental attitudes. Having reviewed related literature, the paper also concludes that there is no relevant research study that differs in their results. The study by Aydoğan, Okyay, Ak, Alppteker, Akkaya, and Koç sets out to investigate improvements that can be made in the life quality of children with leukemia. The rationale behind the project is in part due to the increase in incidence of cancer worldwide and because, as the most frequent form of childhood cancer, leukemia now accounts for around 30% of total childhood cancer cases. The project aims to support the development and education of children in the zero to 18 age group, receiving treatment and care in an oncology clinic, in a healthy, safe, and stimulant-rich environment, and to offer the families the personal development support they may need. The study group in the project, which is intended to last twelve months, is composed of children of ages ranging from zero to 18 years old, who were diagnosed with leukemia, or other forms of cancer, at the Department of Child Health and Diseases, Division of Child Hematology, as well as their families. Acknowledging the fact that a large amount of research on second / foreign language learning motivation, as an area of study within the English Language Teaching field, has been done since the 1960s, the paper by Inözü aims to explore and understand the contextual factors shaping learners’ motivational processes from multi-level perspectives. The study adopts a mixed methods approach in its research design and uses a repertory grid for the purpose of collecting data regarding the features of a good language learner from the perspective of the participants, the participants’ perceptions of themselves as language learners, and the participants’ perception of their ideal selves as language learners. In recognising that motivation needs to be kept high in order for students to continue learning and to succeed, the author hopes to shed light on the role of motivational self-regulation, whilst acknowledging the need for further research, larger in scope, to draw any firm conclusions. The main purpose of the study by Ramazan and Arslan is to better understand the self-concepts of Turkish preschool-age female children, between the ages of five to six years, with regard to gender identity and gender roles through exploring their perceptions of themselves, along with their gender expectations and gender role development. To better understand the concepts preschool girls incorporate into their self-perceptions for gender identity, the research study used the qualitative method. The participants in the study were 38 female preschool students that were randomly chosen from six kindergartens of a primary public school in the district of Kagithane, Istanbul in a neighbourhood where families with low and middle

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socioeconomic status live. The data were collected through individual interviews comprised of semi-structured open-ended questions and descriptive analysis was utilised in the analysis of the data. The results of the study show the girls’ selfconcepts were defined not by a variety of personal experiences of childhood, but rather, by gender roles. The main objective of the study by Kandemir is to measure the gender perception of children between the ages of four and six years old. In order to achieve this goal, a group of ten people was formed in order to perform observations on both public and private early childhood education institutions where they were employed as interns or practical trainees. Based on the observations, a questionnaire was formed, which was given to a total of 124 children who participated in the survey. The children’s answers were evaluated and a range of conclusions were drawn, including the observation that children acquire gender discriminating points of view by observing the interaction between men and women in society starting with their own family. The study by Hamiden, Uyanik, and Yaşar aims to examine the social skills of preschoolers attending public and private institutions using teachers’ assessment. To achieve this, the authors set out to determine whether preschoolers’ social behaviours differ according to the type of institution they attend (private or public), gender, duration of school-attendance, and parents’ level of education. 104 children were included in the sample of the study and were selected via the random sampling method. The research study is based on a descriptive survey model. The target population of the study consists of five to six year old children who attend public and private preschool institutions affiliated to the Afyonkarahisar Provincial Directorate for National Education. The authors conclude by offering suggestions for institutions, educators, and parents on the issues raised. The paper by Taneri, Nayir, and Akioğlu sets out to investigate primary schools teachers’ opinions about positive discrimination. The rational for the study is based on the fact that research has shown that teachers have some misconceptions about discrimination and positive discrimination. A qualitative research design with semi-structured interviews was used. The participants were four volunteer teachers from public primary schools around Ankara who were asked to respond to questions containing demographic information such as age, branch, and work experience. The collected data were analysed using content analyses and the recorded interviews were transcribed. The results confirm that some teachers do not know exactly what positive discrimination means. Amongst their conclusions, the researchers argue that affirmative action plans and positive discrimination strategies should be used in schools when there are situations of unequal opportunities. However, they also argue that under certain conditions, positive discrimination strategies can increase the disadvantages of certain groups. The main focus point of the study by Aker is the show that the anchor

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makes on television and how this is seen by the audience. Its aim is to evaluate whether ‘anchors’ as a professional personality of news bulletins on television is a criterion for watching a given channel, or a news bulletin, and whether or not the body language used contributes to this process. The target population consists of six Turkish anchors and 1,500 subjects related to the field took part in the study. Due to the lack of proper national studies, and to the different findings from previous research studies focusing on the language development of twins, the study by Çiçekler and Tatli aims to determine the receptive and expressive language levels of twins and singletons and in so doing, make a valuable contribution to the field. With this broader goal in mind, the following questions are investigated: (a) Is there a difference between receptive and expressive language levels of twins and singletons? and (b) Do the receptive and expressive language levels of twins and singletons differ according to gender, preschool status (attending or not attending a preschool), number of siblings, and birth order? The study was conducted using a relational survey model and the sample of the research study included 291 children (194 twins and 97 singletons) aged between 48 and 66 months from the central districts of Konya province in Turkey. Kevin Norley

Contents Chapter I – Learning and Teaching Ahmet Gürses, Çetin Doğar & Tuba Dalg A Design Implementation for Constructivist Learning-Based Interactive Direct Teaching: An Experimental Approach������������������������������������25 Emine Ahmetoğlu, Zulfiye Gul Ercan, Gokçen Ilhan Ildiz & Demirali Yaşar Ergin A Study of Classroom Management Skills of Preschool Teachers�����������������������35 Seden Eraldemİr Tuyan Teacher-Student Interaction in English as a Foreign Language Classes in Higher Education�������������������������������������������������������������������������������������47 Fİdan Uğur & Nahİde İrem Azİzoğlu Analysis of Turkish Textbooks Prepared for Turkish Children Living Abroad in Terms of Education of Values / Teaching Values to Turkish Children Living Abroad: An Analysis of their Textbooks������������������������������������57 Talip Ozturk & Filiz Zayimoglu Ozturk Evaluation of Candidate Teachers’ Attitudes toward Turkish Republic Revolution History and Kemalism Course with Respect to Different Variables (Ordu University Sample)������������������������������������������������������������������������67 Nermin Özcan Özer Handwriting and its Role in Teacher Education����������������������������������������������������77 Ayşen Arslan An Evaluation of the Elementary School Teachers’ Music Education Program����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������85 Nükhet Eltut Kalender A Review of the Nonverbal and Written Communication in Boris Pasternak’s “Doctor Zhivago”�����������������������������������������������������������������������������������97 Filiz Kalelioğlu E-Instructor Certificate Program: Reflections of Participants�������������������������� 107

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Mehmet Kurudayioglu & Eren Yilmaz Persuasion Techniques in Persuasive Texts of Undergraduate Students: A Case Study������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 115 Suzana Ejupi & Ermira Elezi Students’ Beliefs Concerning Written Error Correction������������������������������������ 125 Hande Gulbagci Dede A Study of Pre-Service Mathematics Teachers in Different Number Sense Components�������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 133 Florim Ajdini Translation Competency Implementation, its Relevance in the Overall Efficiency in Translation from English into Albanian���������������������������������������� 143 Havva Yaman, Feride İdİ Tulumcu & Tuğba Demİrtaş Tolaman Grammar Teaching Problems According to the Opinions of Teacher Candidates: A Phenomenological Approach������������������������������������������������������� 153 Fatma Toköz Göktepe The Strategies used by Turkish EFL Teachers in the ESP Classroom��������������� 165 Cavuş Sahin & Derya Girgin Sarıdas A study of a Metaphor: The Opinions of Classroom Teachers Toward the Design of Future Learning Environments by using their 21st Century Means���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 177 Cemalettin Yıldız, Mihriban Hacısalihoğlu Karadeniz & Resul Göl The usage of the Biographies of Mathematicians in Elementary and Secondary Mathematics Textbooks���������������������������������������������������������������������� 193 Lisa Gayle Bond & Sari Hosoya Issues of Introducing Service Learning in the General Curriculum: A Case Study of Foreign Language Classes and Issues of Incorporating Service Learning in the Curriculum at a Japanese University��������������������������� 209 Chapter II – Educational Policy Bertan Akyol Organisational Justice in Decision-Making Processes��������������������������������������� 223

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Ipek Kislali Freshman Expectations: The Case of the Banking and Insurance Department in a Newly Established School of Applied Sciences���������������������� 231 Fatma Alkan & Canan Kocak The Role of Technology in Teaching Activities: Web Based Teaching Applications������������������������������������������������������������������������ 243 Dilek Sultan Acarlı, Canan Koçak & Fatma Alkan Students’ Reasons for Attending Private Courses and their Views on them: The case of Turkey����������������������������������������������������������������������� 251 Habib Akdoğan & Yasin Şeker Advances in Accounting Education Affecting Efficiency and Sufficiency of Knowledge��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 259 Baris Uslu & Hasan Arslan The Relationship between Organisational Communication and Organisational Climate in Universities���������������������������������������������������������������� 271 Nejat Ira The Issue of Teacher Training in Vocational Technical Education in Turkey�����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������285 Güneş Salı, Özlem Körükçü & Aysel Köksal Akyol Research on the Environmental Knowledge and Environmental Awareness of Preschool Teachers����������������������������������������������� 293 Athina A. Sipitanou & Koutova Charilkleia The Importance of Lifelong Learning for the Quality of Educational Work in Relation to the Leadership Efficiency of School Principals���������������� 309 Rengİn Zembat, Fahretdİn Adagİdelİ, Ezgİ Akşİn, Ayşe Çobanoğlu, Elçİn Gölbaşi, Zeynep Kiliç & Hande Usbaş Management Problems between Preschool Teachers and Administrators and their Solution Methods for these Problems���������������������� 321 Erkan Kiral & Mehtap Totur A Comparison of Asian Tigers’ (Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, and Hong Kong) Education Systems�������������������������������������������������������������������� 331

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Ezgi Göl & Nuray Sevinç Opinions of Women Teachers regarding not having Postgraduate Education������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 351 Sari Hosoya & Lisa Gayle Bond Integrating Service Learning and Teacher Education: Preparing Teachers for Diversity��������������������������������������������������������������������������� 363 Chapter III – School Psychology Zuhal Ince & Aytul Kasapoglu Self-Monitoring and Semantic Distinction of School Masters�������������������������� 381 Yasemin Nemlioglu Koca Women on Board: The Perception of Gender Discrimination and Prejudice in the Maritime Sector������������������������������������������������������������������� 391 Remzi Aydın, Hatice Bekir & Oğuz Çiçek Witnessing Domestic Violence of the Father Against the Mother in Childhood: Scale Developing Study / Children Witnessing the Father’s Violence Against the Mother: A Scale Developing Study�������������������� 413 Hülya Gülay Ogelman Examination of the Predicting Effect of the Environmental Attitudes of Parents on the Environmental Attitudes of Preschool Children������������������ 421 Yasemin Aydogan, Ozlem Okyay, Bedrıye Ak, Hacer Alpteker, Oznur Akkaya & Muhabbet Koc Improvements in the Life Quality of Children with Leukemia������������������������� 431 Julide Inozu Raising Awareness in Language Learners for Developing Motivational Self-regulation���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 441 Oya Ramazan & Hande Arslan Gender Self-Concepts of Turkish Five to Six Year-Old Preschool Girls���������� 451 Sema Guzey Kandemir An Investigation on the Gender Perception of Children in Early Childhood Education��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 461

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Nezahat Hamİden Karaca, Özgün Uyanik & Münevver Can Yaşar A Comparison Between the Social Behaviours of Preschoolers Attending Public and Private Institutions Based on the Teachers’ Assessment��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 471 P. Oya Taneri, K. Funda Nayir & Özlem Tiryakioğlu Primary School Teachers’ Opinions About Positive Discrimination��������������� 483 Canan Yıldız Çiçekler & Sümeyya Tatlı An Investigation of the Receptive and Expressive Language Levels of Twins and Singletons between the Ages of 48–66 Months�������������������������������� 491

Chapter I – Learning and Teaching

Ahmet Gürses, Çetin Doğar & Tuba Dalga

A Design Implementation for Constructivist Learning-Based Interactive Direct Teaching: An Experimental Approach Introduction Learning is a process which continues / goes on constantly without a specific end point. Human beings learn everything as they live (Meirink et al., 2009) and acquire attitude, skill, knowledge, and values as a result of their interaction with their surroundings. These acquisitions form the basis of learning. Consequently, changes in thoughts, emotions, and behaviour can be observed in people. There are various theories on how these changes occur. These theories may be behavioural, cognitive, and affective theories. Recently, several approaches have been set up to promote a strong learning environment. The most important requirement for all of these approaches is to find a teacher who is both well trained and has the desired characteristics (Germann et al., 1996; Schelfhout et al., 2006; Tynjala, 1999; Rasul, Bukhsh and Batool, 2011; Özbay et al., 2012 Tulbure, 2012). Among all these theories, the constructivist approach is the leading one. With rapid developments in all fields, information and technology have become an integral part of our ​​ everyday lives, replacing the traditional transmission of knowledge that was mechanical and based on memory. It is necessary that everybody is able to see the relationship between the information and the methods employed to analyse it, to synthesise new information, and to use the new information in solving the problems (Taylor et al., 1997; Canpolat et al., 2009; Nie and Lau, 2009; Osman et al., 2009; Baeten, Struyven and Dochy, 2013). The constructivist approach stipulates that learning is both subjective and social (Ernest, 1998). The subjective element consists in the individual’s internalisation of what he or she has learnt through the use of symbols, models, concepts, and graphics. Learning is socially developed by a means of exchanging information and by interaction with others through cooperation (Özden, 2010). The teacher holds an important role in the active learning approach, for it is he or she who organises the learning environment in advance, determines what will be performed during the course, and creates the materials to be used. In addition, the lesson is more joyful, fast-paced, amusing, and attention grabbing. The most

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Ahmet Gürses, Çetin Doğar & Tuba Dalga

important characteristic of active learning is to confront the student with real-life situations, to encourage permanent learning, and to provide him or her with a meaningful learning experience (Kalem and Fer, 2003). Meaningful learning means acquiring ideas, concepts, and principles by associating new information with the information already existing in memory (Ausubel, 1977; Faw and Walker, 1976). Learning is meaningful if it is systematically associated with similar concepts from new information (Ausubel, 1963 and 1968; Ausubel & Robinson, 1969). In other words, the new information is meaningful if it expands, corrects, or details the information already acquired. In the process of creating a meaning, individual variables such as age, past experiences, socio-economic status, and educational background are of a decisive importance. The students’ background determines whether or not he or she finds the learning process meaningful or not. In contrast to reasoning and induction methods used in discovery learning, Ausubel’s model supports deduction and reasoning. General ideas are taught first, and then it goes on to specific subjects. In this model, it is the role of the teacher to help students with dividing information into small pieces and combining new ideas with the similar ideas previously learnt. The studies conducted by Ausubel revealed that teaching where preliminary organisers are used encourages the learning process more than teaching performed without the aid of these organisers (Ausubel, 1978); however, inconsistent results were obtained from other studies and by other researchers (Barnes and Clawson, 1975). In lessons which aim to emphasise the relationship between the concepts, the organisers are used efficiently (Mayer, 1984). Meanwhile, if a teacher uses the similes in excess, then the students cannot establish the connection between the concepts. The organisers can be efficiently used for making analogies or maps (diagrams) with familiar subjects while teaching difficult academic subjects (Faw and Waller, 1976; Verdi and Kulhavy, 2002; Driscoll, 2005). In Interactive Direct Teaching Based on Constructivist Learning (IDTBCL), learning is evaluated as a change-oriented or mental process. This approach includes creating the awareness of the current concepts among the students, creating a broad mental space that includes multiple conceptual parts, ensuring that new information is adapted to their previous knowledge through constant contextual communication, and harmonisation. This model promotes a more active role for the students in which they take into account the importance of the concepts as mental elements in order to develop positive attitudes not only towards science and learning, but also toward scientific process skills which in turn will help them increase their achievements. The purpose of the study is to analyse the effect of IDTBCL Model upon student success and attitude.

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Methods The pre-test & post-test control group research design, which is a quasi-experimental research design, was used in this study. For this reason, 50 students attending grade ten at an Anatolian high school were chosen as the sampling group and were divided into two groups of 25 students each, with the first group as the control group and the second group as the experimental group. The subjects / topics within the scope of the implementation and the sub-titles are given below: a) Evaporation – Steam pressure and the factors affecting the steam pressure – Evaporation rate and the factors affecting the evaporation rate b) Boiling – The boiling point and the factors affecting the boiling point The control group was introduced to the subject matter of the enquiry, evaporation and boiling, through the traditional methods by the same teacher for two weeks. In the experimental group, the same topic was taught for the same period using the IDTBCL model. A test for evaluating the student’s rate of success in mastering abstract concepts and an attitude survey were administrated to both the experimental and the control groups. A multiple-choice conceptual test of 15 items was prepared to cover the specific acquisitions. The questionnaire was created by the researchers. This survey was performed as a pilot study on 50 students in grade ten and the reliability coefficient (Cronbach alpha) found was 0.73. Also, a test developed to determine the attitude of the students toward the IDTBCL methods was adjusted to include 23 questions using a seven choice Likert-type scale. Part A has nine questions, while part B has thirteen questions to evaluate the participation of students in the survey. One question is an open-ended question in which students can express their own different ideas. While the questions in part A evaluated the attitude toward the performed method, the items in part B were designed to measure the degree of awareness of the IDTBCL principles among the students. Quantitative analysis was carried out on the total scores of students from the pre-test and post-test enquiries using the SPSS 15.0 package software. After the pre-test administration, a t-test was carried out in order to determine whether there was a statistically significant difference in terms of success between the experimental and control groups. In order to determine whether there was a significant difference between the groups according to the test results, the ANOVA model was used.

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Findings In order to determine the effect of the IDTBCL upon the student success, the ANOVA analysis was performed. It measured the results to determine whether there was a significant difference between the experimental and control groups in terms of success. The findings from the statistical evaluation of the data obtained from the answers given by the students in the sample group to the multiple choice questions are presented in Table 1. Table 1:  Independent t-test results of the pretest Group Experimental Control

N 25 25

Mean 0.4734 0.4328

Std. Dev. 0.12176 0.17251

T 0.341

P 0.961

There was no significant difference between the pre-test average scores of the experimental and the control groups (p>0.05). The subjects of evaporation and boiling were explained to the control group using the traditional method and to the experimental group using the IDTBCL method. Following the teaching process, the same test was once again performed on both groups. According to the post-test results, the experimental group was more successful than the control group. A statistically significant difference was recorded between the post-test scores. When the groups’ post-test scores were analysed, it was noticed that the standard deviation of the experimental group (Mexp: 11.72 SD: 1.20) was lower than the standard deviation of the control group (Mcont: 8.56 SD: 2.72). This proved that the results of the students in the experimental group were closer to each other and that they were overall more successful than the students in the control group. In terms of student success, the results were more homogenous in the experimental group, while the same homogeneity could not be observed in the results provided by the control group. According to the results, the IDTBCL model increased the interest of each student in the classroom and in the course and the students’ attention to the lesson taught. It was concluded that it was a more efficient method for teaching these subjects.

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A Design Implementation for Constructivist Learning-Based Interactive Table 2:  ANOVA test results of the post-test Source Corrected Model Intercept Pretest Groups Error Total Corrected Total

Sum of Squares 124.855a 474.952 0.035 122.511 213.165 5479.000 338.020

df 2 1 1 1 47 50 49

Mean Square 62.428 474.952 0.035 122.511 4.535

F 13.764 104.720 0.008 27.012

p 0.000 0.000 0.930 0.000

(R Squared = 0.369 (Adjusted R Squared = 0.343)

The analysis of the aforementioned data shows that the students in the experimental group had scores of 36 and higher, while 72% of the students developed a positive attitude toward the IDTBCL model (see Table 3).

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

% – 28 – 16 4 – 16 32 20

F – 1 – 1 3 1 1 – 2

% – 4 – 4 12 4 4 – 8

f 4 6 6 6 6 1 5 9 8

% 16 24 24 24 24 4 20 36 32

f 3 – – 3 5 3 1 2 –

% 12 – – 12 20 12 4 8 –

f 6 2 5 5 6 9 1 1 –

% 24 8 20 20 24 36 4 4 –

Definitely agree

Partly agree

Agree

F – 7 – 4 1 – 4 8 5

% 8 32 – 12 8 4 40 12 32

No idea

f 2 8 – 3 2 1 10 3 8

Disagree

Partly disagree

Section A: Item no

Definitely disagree

Table 3:  Descriptive analysis results of the attitude toward the IDTBCL model: Section A

f 10 1 13 3 1 10 3 2 2

% 40 4 52 12 4 40 12 8 8

In section B, the students’ opinion on The IDTBCL model was asked. The aforementioned data indicate that the students who agreed to items one to twelve and the ones who disagreed to item thirteen developed a positive attitude towards the performed method. Those students reached up to 75.6% for positive attitude on the attitude scale.

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Table 4:  Descriptive analysis results of the attitude toward the IDTBCL model: Section B Section B F %

1 17 68

2 24 96

3 21 84

4 21 84

5 20 80

6 22 88

7 12 48

8 23 92

9 21 84

10 13 52

11 22 88

12 19 76

13 23 92

Moreover, the part in which we required the students to mention their positive or negative views on the IDTBCL model was answered by 24% of the students. The answers given by the students were as follows: – Th  is is a very efficient method, the lesson is more joyful, and the students learn new subjects without getting bored. – This method is a good teaching method that helps students to make connections by associating the unknown subject taught with familiar events in daily life and also encourages them to be more active during the lesson. – I can only say that it is a highly beneficial method; it is as it should be. – Since this method focuses on the student, and not the teacher’s role, the student is more active. The above sentences prove that the students developed a positive attitude toward the IDTBCL model.

Discussion Recently, teacher-centered teaching has been called into question. The traditional approach based on memorising reduces the students to a passive role in which they expect the piece of information to already be tailored for them; this negatively affects the sense of curiosity and ultimately produces individuals without analytic skills. In fact, nowadays people need to develop critical thinking that enables them to question the events, gain access to information, and properly use it. It is not sufficient to passively accumulate information, rather it is necessary to make use of that knowledge and turn it into action. The information gets stronger and is enriched through action. It has been accepted that the learning process is more efficient when it is implemented in an active manner. In that case, the students use their minds and their own experience while learning and they are active; they get involved in the act of learning and try to use what they have learnt. The fundamental purpose is to activate the permanent learning process and make students the leading actor in the act of learning. In fact, it is known that learning is an individual process. We should make learning environments more dynamic, comfortable, and interesting. Because of that, it can be said that the IDTBCL model is a promising alternative solution to the traditional teaching approach

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that is based upon memorising. It has been revealed through recent studies that teaching models and methods aiming at implementing conceptual based learning develop more scientific process skills compared to the traditional method. Those skills are necessary for formulating hypotheses and conducting scientific research (Lavoie, 1999). On the other hand, the studies on the implementation of these methods have shown that the students were initially misinformed about them. However, according to the post-test results, these misconceptions were overcome in the experimental group on which the IDTBCL model was used. According to these results, we can say that this model had a similar effect to those of concept maps, conceptual networks, and conceptual change texts. In teaching activities performed on the control group, the teacher was at the center of the process. The students did not regard this as odd and they showed signs of being ready for such a teaching approach, both mentally and in a psychomotor sense. However, in this traditional approach conducted by the teacher, affective satisfaction was not possible among the students due to the emergence of a teacher profile of explaining while students took notes, giving examples, or asking students to find examples, and of a student profile of listening, taking notes, finding examples when asked, and giving answers. In the experimental group, the teacher urged students to engage in mental activities such as thinking, evaluating, and constructing. This situation gave rise to a learning environment in which the teacher and student engaged in activities through an intense interaction, resulting in a correct orientation in focus being obtained. This aforementioned harmonisation no doubt requires far more energy than the one spent by the teacher while directing the traditional teaching process for both the preparation and teaching process itself. Orientating the student, who tends to be disorganised or free in an intellectual as well as in a physical sense, toward the natural process of creating an organised cognitive structure requires a cognitively and affectively experienced teacher. For, he or she has to transform complex realities into a system. In accordance, it should be considered that learning is a fundamental physiologic need and requires constant change from the natural tendencies of an individual. In order to produce an organised and dimensional change, like acting and doing sports, the individual needs fundamental nutritional inputs, as well as cognitive, intellectual, and energetic inputs. Therefore, learning can be considered as a beneficial work or an oriented change produced by the learner. The clearest indicator of the teacher’s professionalism and ability to master the chosen method (teaching model and techniques) is the size of the beneficial work and the significant change produced from the spent energy (time and teaching activities). The first and most important step to do when starting a lesson is to establish good communication with the students. In curricula, teaching methods in which

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students and teachers are more active should be chosen. The methods emphasising the importance of concepts should especially be preferred. For that reason, changes should occur in some fields including family, school, and textbooks. A broad learning environment should be provided in order to meet the demands of the students. Variety in teaching activities brings with it a better understanding of subjects, a good synthesis of the topics studied, and an interactive studying environment. Creating multiple learning environments make it possible for the students to get the information by themselves (Vebrianto and Osman, 2011). Afterwards, it is necessary to define the subject in detail and to discuss the lesson with students using various ways such as asking questions, discussion, revision, repetition, induction, and deduction. This involves a lot of mental effort; however, it has been statistically proven that as long as the student is encouraged toward this activity, the method affects the student’s success more.

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Emine Ahmetoğlu, Zulfiye Gul Ercan, Gokçen Ilhan Ildiz & Demirali Yaşar Ergin

A Study of Classroom Management Skills of Preschool Teachers Abstract This study aimed to investigate the classroom management skills of preschool teachers in terms of a number of variables (gender, age, marital status, grade, educational status, etc.). 175 preschool teachers who teach in independent kindergartens, in preschools under primary school, and in private nursery schools and preschools in Tekirdağ had taken part in this research. All schools depend on the Turkish Ministry of Education. For data collection, the “General Information Form” and “Classroom Management Skills Inventory for Preschool Teachers” were used. The data collected in the study has been analysed via SPSS 17.0 Program, T-test, ANOVA, LSD, and Post Hoc Statistical Methods. To test the data, a significance level of 0.5 has been accepted. The data gathered from the research will be presented in tables. Keywords: Education, preschool teachers, classroom management skills.

Introduction The teacher is the most important agent in preschool institutions for he or she fulfills their goal of offering high-quality education (Gezgin, 2009). Preschool teachers of institutions where children in need of special training attend the initial inclusive education program have the specific task of adapting those children, both to one another and to the teaching program (Kuz, 2001; Lindsay, 2007; Özdemir and Ahmetoğlu, 2012). The teacher has to fulfill both teaching and executive roles simultaneously in the classroom. Effective classroom management leads to successful teaching. The first responsibility of the teacher in classroom management is to set up an appropriate classroom order (Başar, 2009; Gezgin 2009). Evertson and Weinstein (2006) defined classroom management as the activities that the teacher does in order to facilitate and support academic and socialemotional learning. Emmer and Stough (2001) used the notion of classroom order in the sense of all the actions of the teacher aiming to enhance student participation in the lesson and cooperation among themselves. Classroom management is influenced by all objects and events inside or outside the classroom. Researchers divide these factors into two categories: internal and external factors. External factors are socio-economic and cultural surrounding, education management,

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school, and family (Kılbaş-Köktaş 2003; Aydın 2009). Internal factors are physical structure and order of the classroom, plan and program activities, time management, teacher-learner relationship, classroom interaction, and behaviour rules (Başar 2009; Korkut 2009). Given that the learning atmosphere in the classroom is a very important variable of the teaching-learning process, the success of the teacher depends on his or her skill in setting up the classroom order; the better the classroom order is, the more satisfactory the outcomes of the education process are (Bloom 1998; Başar 2009). Evertson and Neal (2006) suggest that teachers are responsible for supplying high academic standards for all the students in their classrooms, adding that they will have difficulty in making the students learn if they fail to prevent behaviour problems of students to engage them in the lessons, or to motivate them to adequately carry out their tasks, no matter how well the teacher knows his or her subject. Preschool teachers must have effective classroom management skills as preschool education is the first step of children’s academic careers, a critical period in developing a child’s positive attitude towards school and their transition to primary education. The preschool program is based on ongoing activities, students have to be with the teacher all day long, with no break, and at least one inclusive education student might be in each classroom (Gezgin 2009; Dinçer and Akgün 2014). The environment and the quality of education offered to students from early ages will have a great influence on his or her success and life quality in the future. Similarly, inclusive education during the preschool period, which is one of the most critical periods in life, is vitally important in accelerating the child’s development and providing him or her with basic communication skills to facilitate his or her social adaptation in the future. In Turkey, research on classroom management skills of preschool teachers, factors affecting these skills, and self-evaluation of teachers is very limited. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate classroom management skills of preschool teachers and determine the factors affecting these skills in order to yield results that will help in developing new strategies for better classroom management and in enhancing the qualities of teachers as well as preschool education.

Methods A “relational scanning” model was used in this study, whose goal was to examine classroom management skills of preschool teachers in terms of several variables. The study sample included 175 voluntary preschool teachers who teach in independent kindergartens, preschools connected to primary schools in the region,

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and in private nursery schools and preschools in central Tekirdağ district that are affiliated with the Ministry of National Education. The study employed “random sampling”, which is one of the probability-based sampling methods. The researchers used the “General Information Form” in order to obtain demographic information about the teachers. They are used Dinçer and Akgün’s (2014) valid and reliable “Classroom Management Skills Scale for Preschool Teachers” where teachers evaluate their own classroom management skills. Classroom Management Skills Scale for Preschool Teachers: The “Classroom Management Skills Scale for Preschool Teachers” is a Likert-type scale consisting of 40 items in order to determine the teachers’ own classroom management skills. The scale is made up of two sub-scales, Professional Skills and Teacher Child Interaction. Teachers are asked to grade themselves on a scale between one and five for each item (one “does not define at all” to five “totally defines”). A coefficient of internal consistence of the 40-item scale (Cronbach α) of 0.83 was found. The coefficients of consistence for sub-dimensions are 0.88 for professional skills, 0.70 for teacher child interaction, and the sum of the scale is 0.83. The retest reliability coefficient is 0.87 for professional skills, 0.83 for teacher child interaction, and 0.91 for the total (p