Education model for the Turkish century: Teachers' views on the 9th grade biology curriculum

The aim of this study is to determine the views of biology and science teachers regarding biomimicry. Phenomenology, one of the qualitative research methods, was used to obtain data for the purpose of the study. The study group consisted of 19 teachers who work as biology and science teachers in public institutions affiliated with the Ministry of National Education in Ankara. Criterion sampling was preferred in the selection of the study group since interviews were conducted with teachers who met certain criteria. A semi-structured interview form titled "Biology and Science Teachers' Views on Biomimicry Interview Form," prepared by the Researchers, was used as the data collection tool in the study. The interviews conducted during the implementation process of this research were carried out both face-to-face and online. The data in this study was evaluated using the content analysis method. The results obtained in the study showed that teachers were familiar with the concept of biomimicry, but some teachers experienced conceptual confusion. At the same time, this study revealed that when teachers used biomimicry for various purposes in their lessons, it made multifaceted contributions to the lessons and students. In addition, teachers made suggestions for biomimicry to be included more in textbooks, curriculum, printed and digital resources, teacher trainings and student workshops.

The COVID-19 pandemic, which continues to be effective today, disrupted our daily lives in many areas and caused some changes. Along with the pandemic process, social life, daily activities and working life, as well as education and training life, were also affected and many countries have switched from face to face education to distance education. In our country, early childhood education started face to face in the 2020-2021 academic year, but online education has been started since the middle of the fall semester. Even though face to face education started in the second semester, parents who did not want to send had a claim not to send their children to school even if they are registered. In this study, it is aimed to present the reflections of the pandemic process on early childhood education, its reflections on teachers and parents, and its effects on the developmental areas of children in this period, in comparison with the views of teachers and parents. The case study, which is one of the qualitative research methods, has been used in the research. The study group of the research consists of 11 parents and six teachers. Demographic information form and interview questions have been used as data collection tools in the research. The obtained data had been analyzed by content analysis method.

The aim of this study was to examine the opinions of secondary school math teachers regarding the examination system for the transition to high school which was implemented for the first time in 2017-2018 academic year in Turkey. The research was conducted in the second semester of 2018-2019 academic year, a semi-structured interview form was used as data collection tool. In addition, the sample of the study consisted of 30 math branch teachers working in central secondary schools across a province in Eastern Anatolia. The interview form consisted of 6 open-ended questions prepared by the researchers after receiving expert opinions. Content analysis method was used in analyzing the data. As a result of findings, it was understood that while some of the teachers had positive opinions about this new exam, some others had negative thoughts.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate IYEP, which has been implemented throughout the country since the academic year of 2018-2019, based on the opinions of teachers. The sample of the study, which was planned as qualitative research and conducted in case study design, consisted of 10 classroom teachers who worked in the province of Bartın and implemented the program during 2019-2020 academic year. The data were collected using a semi-structured interview form and analyzed through the content analysis method. The findings have revealed that the classroom teachers participating in the study think that the program has had a positive effect on student achievement and especially helped students participate in classroom activities, gain self-confidence and feel the sense of achievement more, which supported students’ self-improvement. The general problems of the process indicated by the teachers are problems arising from the implementation hour on weekdays, arrival and departure times of commuting students, inadequate information of parents about the program, common instruction for students with different levels, problems in meeting nutritional needs of students especially during the courses on weekdays, and teachers’ lack of knowledge about the student. Furthermore, the suggestions for the development of the program include organizing IYEP introductory events for teachers, parents and students at the beginning of the academic year, starting the program from the 2nd grade and continuing throughout the primary school education, separating the activity books as modular books and diversifying the materials, reducing the number of students in the classrooms and focusing on individual studies, planning the program in a way that includes transportation at the weekend, creating more homogeneous classes, and carrying out more studies for the psychosocial support dimension of the program.

The purpose of the current study is to elicit the opinions of Turkish primary school students and teachers about summary writing. The study group of the current research was selected by means of the criterion sampling method. The study group is comprised of 85 primary school fifth grade students and 17 classroom teachers teaching these students. As the data collection tool in the current study, a semi-structured student interview form and a semi-structured teacher interview form were used. In the analysis of the collected data, the content analysis method was employed. The findings obtained have revealed that there is a considerable consistency between the students and teachers' responses. Majority of the teachers stated that they have their students write summaries regularly and then that they provide feedbacks for their students by making corrections or writing notes on their summaries. The teachers think that summarizing develops written expression to the greatest extent and teaches students how and where to use punctuation marks. The teachers also stated that they had not taken any training about summarizing at any level of their training. The students, on the other hand, stated that their summaries are only signed by the teacher or the teacher has them read their summaries. Moreover, the students think that summary writing facilitates recall, that their teachers do not give them information about how to write a summary and that they do not show them samples of summary writing.

This study aims to determine the opinions of elementary school teachers and 3rd and 4th-grade students regarding the use of educational digital games in educational activities in the classroom. In today’s world, where technology is constantly evolving and renewing, and digital media and materials take a larger share in our lives, instructional activities are also influenced by these advancements. The case study design, which is one of the qualitative research designs, was preferred in this study and semi-structured interview forms were used for the data collection process. Interviews were conducted with 30 elementary school teachers (18 female and 12 male) working in state schools in the Kavak district of Samsun province during the 2021-2022 academic year and 30 students in the 3rd and 4th grades (15 female and 15 male) studying in those state schools. The criterion sampling method, one of the purposeful sampling methods, was used in selecting the study group. In this context, attention was paid to select teachers, who use educational digital games in their classrooms and are willing to participate in the research. The data obtained in the research were analyzed using the content analysis method. The results achieved in this study indicate that educational digital games used in the classroom facilitate students’ learning, increase their attention spans, and contribute to quick thinking and decision-making. Recommendations include the necessity for teachers to receive training on digital content and the importance of identifying games, which are suitable for learning objectives, before implementing in-class games.

The aim of this study is to determine the opinions of primary school teachers who received in-service training on robotic coding applications. For this purpose, descriptive study model, which is one of the qualitative research methods, was utilized. The study group of the research consisted of six primary school teachers who voluntarily gave opinions out of 30 teachers who participated in in-service robotic coding training in the first semester of 2018-2019 academic year. "Semi-structured interview form" was used as data collection tool. The data obtained from the participants were transferred to NVivo 12 program and analyzed by content analysis method and classified under certain categories. Direct quotations were included to reflect the responses of the participants in a striking manner. As a result of the research, participants stated that the in-service training period was inadequate and limited, and that a limited number of examples of robotic coding applications were covered. In addition, it was found that the participants generally did not incorporate such practices in their own classes after the training. They made various explanations about the reasons of this situation. In line with the results of this research, it is suggested that more time should be devoted to the applications related to robotic coding provided to teachers during in-service training, and that activities related to how to integrate them into classroom teaching practices should be organized.

It is a common goal to try to educate students as natural users of language, as emphasized by the studies on learning English today and the recently renewed 2017- 2018 curriculum in Turkey. In this respect, the learning of language based on four basic skills is considered to bring the importance of these skills is emerging. This study is a qualitative study that determines the teachers’ opinions on the problems they encounter in the process of teaching four basic skills. At this qualitative study in the 2017-2018 academic year, teachers were chosen by the criterion sampling method, face-to-face interviews were conducted with eight English teachers working in a city of Turkey. The research was conducted in a case study design in a holistic multi-state pattern. Semi-structured interview form was used as data collection tool. Data was analyzed by content analysis method. Teachers’ opinions on the subject were discussed according to sub-problems and comments and suggestions were made.

Bu araştırma, fen bilimleri öğretmenlerinin EğitimBilişim Ağıında (EBA) yer alan öğretim materyalleri ve yararlandıklarıdiğer eğitim platformlarında yer alan öğretim materyallerinin karşılaştırmasınıamaçlamaktadır. EBA; kullanışlılık, yeterlilik, müfredat uygunluğu, tasarım, içerikdoluluğu, özgünlük gibi konularda incelenerek diğer eğitim platformları ilekarşılaştırmalar yapılmıştır. Araştırmada görüşme tekniği ve amaçlı örneklemeyöntemi kullanılmıştır. Katılımcılar çeşitli şehirlerde görev yapan 20 fen bilimleriöğretmenidir. Veri toplama aracı olarak yarı yapılandırılmış görüşme formu;elde edilen verilerin analizinde içerik analizi yöntemi kullanılmıştır. EBA platformundayer alan materyaller diğer dijital öğretim materyalleri ilekarşılaştırıldığında yeterliliğin henüz beklenen seviyede olmadığı görülmüştür.EBA platformunda yer alan öğretim materyalleri diğer dijital öğretimmateryallerine bakarak daha az kullanılmaktadır. Kullanışlılık açısındankarşılaştırmalar yapılmış ve görsel bakımdan düzenlemeler olması gerektiğibelirtilmiştir. Öğretmenler sık kullandıkları materyalleri sıralarken; dersplanı yapabilme, planı kaydetme, aradığını kolay bulabilme gibi ölçütler önplana çıkarmaktadırlar. İçerik güncelliği ve müfredat uygunluğu öğretmenlerce,diğer dijital öğretim materyallerine göre yeterli bulunmamıştır.Haberler ve süreli dergiler bölümleri, diğer dijital öğretim materyallerindeçok sık rastlanmayan, Eğitim Bilişim Ağı’na özgü beğenilen ve en çok dilegetirilen kısımlar olmuştur. Eğitim Bilişim Ağı platformunun tanıtımı yetersizbulunmuştur. Eğitim Bilişim Ağı üzerine yapılan geliştirme çalışmalarıöğretmenler tarafından beğenilmektedir.

Purpose: The aim of this study is to determine the effect of Writing to Learning (WTL) activities on learning in teaching the subject of Ecosystem Ecology, which is taught in the biology courses in the 10th grade of high school and to examine the course process carried out with WTL activities in terms of student views. Design/Methodology/Approach: In the research, explanatory mixed research design, one of the mixed method research designs, was used. The study group of the research consists of 87 students studying in the 10th grade of a high school in the center of Bayburt in the spring term of the 2021-2022 academic year. As a data collection tool in the research; Preliminary Knowledge Test (PKT), Ecosystem Ecology Achievement Test (EEAT) and Interview Form (IF) were used. Shapiro-Wilk Test, one of the normality tests, was used in the analysis of quantitative data. Since the data obtained from both tests used in the study did not meet the normal distribution conditions, Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis H tests were applied as non-parametric tests. On the other hand, content analysis method was used to analyze qualitative data. Findings: As a result of the analysis of the data obtained from the EEAT, it was determined that the letter and the diary from the activities of WTL increased the success of the 10th grade students in Ecosystem Ecology. Considering the letter and diary from these activities, it was determined that the letter writing activity contributed more to academic success than the diary writing activity. According to the analysis of the data obtained from the IF, it was determined that the students' views on the WTL activities were positive. Highlights: As a result of the results obtained from the findings, it is thought that it is important to support the use of WTL activities in secondary level biology courses to increase student outcomes.

This study aims to evaluate the STEM SOS model based on the opinions of pre-service science teachers. For this aim, the contributions and the challenges of the STEM SOS model to pre-service science teachers were investigated. The participants consisted of 23 pre-service science teachers studying in the 4th grade of science teaching at a state university during the fall term of the 2018-2019 academic year. The descriptive case study design was used for the study's research method. The implementation was performed in an elective course called New Approaches in Science Teaching, and the implementation process study took nine weeks, two hours a week. Firstly pre-service science teachers were given theoretical knowledge about STEM education and the STEM SOS model and were informed about the purpose of the study. The participants were asked to decide on their project groups of 2-6 people and to perform Level III projects based on the STEM SOS Model by each group in implementation. A open-ended survey form developed by the researcher was used as a data collection tool at the end of the implementation. The data were analyzed by using the content analysis method. As a result, it was determined that the STEM SOS model has many contributions for pre-service science teachers grouped under five categories, such as producing products, satisfaction, developing skills, increasing research interest, and the ability to act with the group. In addition, the study concluded that pre-service science teachers encountered some challenges during the implementation of the STEM SOS model, grouped under three categories as the barriers related to the project, lack of knowledge skills, and disagreement with group mates. In the light of these findings, necessary suggestions were made.

TIn values education, the primary school period (7-9 years), which is the most important stage in the character development of individuals, and indirectly the classroom teachers are very important. Primary school teachers play a critical role in the implementation of the values education curriculum that has been given importance recently. The purpose of this research is to examine the views of primary school teachers on values education in primary school curriculum. In the study using descriptive survey model, quantitative method was used. Purposive sampling method was used in the research. In this context, the sample of the study consisted of 281 classroom teachers in the city center of Tokat in the 2020-2021 academic year. In the study, an opinion scale on value education developed by Başçı (2012) was used to collect quantitative data. Frequency, percentage, t-test for independent groups and one-way analysis of variance were used in the analysis of the data. Considering the results of the research; effective value education, value in the curriculum and the general sum of all sub-dimensions in favor of female teachers in the opinions of teachers on values education; in favor of teachers in the 20-29 age group in the general sum of all sub-dimensions; It was found that the views on the family-environment-media sub-dimension were in favor of the teachers working for 1-5 years. It was found that there was no significant difference in the grand total of all sub-dimensions according to the classes they taught.

From the Editors

Social studies course preserves its importance from past to present in raising both national and international citizens. Considering the importance of the social studies course, it was necessary to shed light on the difficulties encountered in this course. The aim of this study is to examine the reasons why students have difficulty in social studies course in detail. When the literature is scrutinized, it is seen that the problems encountered in the social studies course are not addressed as a whole. It is important to examine the causes of the problems encountered in this study as a whole by considering many sub-dimensions. Phenomelogy study, one of the qualitative research methods, was used in the study. The study group of the research consists of 7 primary teachers. The semi-structured "Interview Form" prepared by the researcher based on expert opinion was used as the data collection tool in the study. The data were obtained by descriptive analysis, one of the qualitative data analysis techniques. When the research analyzes are examined, the most difficult issues in the social studies course are the National Struggle Period, Active Citizenship and abstract issues, students' difficulties in social studies course are related to the inability to read, academic achievement and the abstractness of the subjects, the curriculum is not suitable for the student level, it was concluded that their motivation was high in the social studies less on and that mostly contemporary methods and techniques were used in the social studies lesson. When the opinions of the classroom teachers about the textbooks were examined, it was concluded that the textbooks had deficiencies in terms of content, language and design, but this situation did not correlate with the difficulty of the students in social studies lesson. Primary teachers' suggestions for the 4th Grade social studies course are to narrow the scope of the subject and improve the content.

In this study, it is aimed to examine the opinions of class teachers about digital game-based teaching. The model of the research, which adopts the qualitative research approach, is the case study. Within the scope of the purpose of the study, opinions were obtained on a voluntary basis from the class teachers selected by the criterion sampling method, one of the purposeful sampling methods. The participants of the research are 30 class teachers working under the Ministry of National Education in the 2020-2021 academic year. A semi-structured interview form was used as a data collection tool. The collected data were analyzed by content analysis method. In line with the findings obtained, conclusions and recommendations have been given.