Views of Turkish Teachers on Skills-Based Turkish Questions.

Abstract

Purpose: Certain changes occurred in measurement and evaluation systems, centralized exams and exams implemented in schools in alignment with developments in the world. Our mean scores in exams including PISA and TIMMS were lower than other countries. This led the Ministry of Education to introduce skills-based questions in exams with the purpose of familiarizing students with such questions and get successful results in these exams. The purpose of this study is to identify teachers’ views on skills-based questions introduced to exams in our country and provide solution options in alignment with these views. Method: 26 Turkish teachers voluntarily participated in the study. Interviews were held using semi-structured questions prepared in alignment with expert opinions on skills-based questions. A descriptive analysis method was used to analyze the data. Findings: The results showed that the majority of participants try to focus on skills-based questions when they conduct their classes. Participants try to ask skills-based questions in exams, but they don’t prepare the questions. Instead, they use other resources for questions. Majority of participants stated that skills-based Turkish questions create exam stress in students and increase their exam anxiety. Implications for research and practice: This study revealed that it would be beneficial for students to encounter skills-based Turkish questions frequently. Within this scope, Turkish textbooks should be re-designed.