FATIH Project Research Articles

Students' views on the use of tablet computers in education

The aim of this study was to explore high school students' views on the use of tablet computers in education. To achieve this aim, a qualitative research method was employed whereby data was obtained from 16 high school students using one-to-one semi-structured interviews and then, subjected to content analysis. The findings showed that all the participating students expressed a positive attitude towards tablet computers prior to their use in education. However, students stated that, after a short period spent on using the tablet computers, they found that tablet computers affected student ' teacher and student' student interaction. A significant number of the students stated that the educational content presented in the Educational Information Network (EBA) Portal was inadequate and inappropriate to their level. Also, in terms of the learning and teaching process, the students raised several concerns. To facilitate the effective use of tablet computers in education, students made several recommendations.Keywords: FATIH Project, tablet computers, technology integration in education, tablet computers in education.

Inquiry into Turkey's Educational Technology, Governance, Situational Educational Policy

Investigating the sociology of educational technology can be approached through a series of deliberations based on the interaction between Free/Libre Open Source Software (FLOSS) and Proprietary Close Source Software (PCSS). This article consults public policy discourses of the Fatih project, which is the current educational technology project in Turkey, particularly focusing on discourses of politicians. This article argues that Turkey has been deploying an Anglo-Governance Model, which is based on an ‘experimental' and ‘strategic' governance, to be a dominating decision-maker in the technological singularity. However, without defining 'values' of FLOSS, any initiative(s) from Anglo-Governance Model will result in what could be referred to as an ‘PCSS-Based Polycentric System' in which the Government has ultimately became an unwelcome decision-maker and PCSS, particularly in such a way that giant corporations exercise dominance over the sociology of educational technology in Turkey.

English

This study determined the viewpoints of teachers from different branches on using the interactive boards placed in classrooms in high schools, which are expected to replace the classical boards in the context of FATIH Project by the Ministry of National Education. Single Review Model was used in the present study where 21 teachers participated from different branches of high schools and the installation of interactive boards was completed in Fall Season of 2013 to 2014 Academic Year. The data of the study were collected by using the Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) panel interactive board attitude scale consisting of 10 questions. The data were examined by using descriptive and content analysis methods and the findings were listed and tabulated according to the questions of the scale. When the results were analyzed, it was observed that the teachers who participated in the study made use of the LCD panel interactive boards technologies frequently in their classes for educational activities such as presentation of slides and digital books or showing of films, videos, pictures, etc. Despite some infrastructural problems and lack of software, they stated that the advantages brought by the use of interactive boards in education were more than the drawbacks, and it was adopted by almost all teachers. However, in order to place the use of interactive boards in the desired level for all teachers, more than one in-service training are needed to cover the needs that are determined in the present study. Key words: FATIH project, interactive board, teacher’s attitudes.

Investigating The Effect of Technology Use in Education on Classroom Management within The Scope of The FATİH Project

This study aims to investigate the effect of technology use in education on classroom management within the scope of the FATIH project, which is a technology integration project. The present study utilizes the descriptive mixed method which involves both qualitative and quantitative methods. “The personal information survey”, “The Effects of Technology Use on Classroom Management Scale” and “the semi-structured interview form” were developed by the researchers for data collection. The scale development study and preliminary applications were carried out before the actual application. The application was conducted in schools which actually used interactive board, tablet computer and software technologies within the framework of the FATIH Project. The study group was made up of 52 teachers serving in various provinces on the secondary education level. The content analysis method was used for analysis of the data obtained using the semi-structured interview form. Quantitative data were analyzed using frequency, percentage, Mann Whitney U and Kruskal Wallis H techniques on SPSS 18.0. According to the results obtained in the study, the average scores of intra-classroom relationship and behavior management sub-scale proportional to item count were higher compared to other sub-scales. Average scores obtained from the management of the classroom order and teaching sub-dimension were the lowest. The effect level of technology use by teachers in the classroom on classroom management was moderate. No statistically significant difference was found in terms of effect levels of technology use by teachers in the classroom on classroom management, except for the variable of daily internet use. Considering the results obtained from qualitative data, the perception that interactive board use in the classroom had positive effects on classroom management stood out. It can be said that this perception resulted from use of interactive board as a presentation tool during classes. In contrast, the teachers stated that tablet computer use in the classroom led to time management issues, negative student behaviors and certain interruptions during the class due to access problems.

Planning of Educational Informatics Network (EIN)

Planning is a concept that takes place all throughout one's life. People plan their education, work, private lives, and careers; in other words, they plan their entire lives to achieve specific desired outcomes. Not only do individuals plan which schools they will attend, but also where they should live and which jobs they should take. Similar to life in general, one's educational career also is executed according to a plan. Although the educational planning was not based on a written text until the 1960s, the notion of education planning has existed since education itself. Technological inventions have been benefited from. Although it is seen, the differences of development of technology in every age, has not neglected to integrate the field of education. Technology has continued its development from duplicators and typewriters of yesterday to the smart boards and tablet computers of today. It is clear that future technological innovations will continue to find a place in education as they appear. The purpose of this study is to examine the planning of EIN (Education IT Network) integration via document analysis, part of the FATIH Project, to determine what problems exist in order not only to make a better educational plan, but also to emphasize the importance of having a good plan so that one may make proper use of EIN in lessons. Additionally, five ITC (Information Technology Counseling) teachers were interviewed in the study. These teachers were asked to share their ideas about the development of EIN and its integration into the subjects. The results indicate that EIN is a rapidly growing and developing application. It is additionally believed that EIN has reached such a level that can complete with the similar international applications.

The evaluation of the direction of change in the attitudes of the teachers towards Fatih Project

The purpose of this study is the determination of the direction of the change of teachers who used Fatih project for at least one academic year of Education and training in the process within project-related assessment. For this study, a literature research was first conducted. For the evaluation of the first period of the project, the required data is obtained from the researches related to Fatih project between 2012 and 2015 years and the results are obtained from this data. During the initial phase of the Fatih project, the information about teachers’ attitudes and reviews on Fatih project has been collected from thesis, articles, and advertisements. For this purpose, whole project-related publications that are in the website of YOK are take into account. In order to evaluate teachers’ reviews, exception method is used. The Working Group includes 118 teachers who are actively working on 14 high school in Batman during 2015-2016 academic year. For data collection tools, questionnaires and interviews are used.

Message from editor

Message from Editor
 Dear Readers,
 It is a great honor for us to publish fourth volume, first issue International Journal of Innovative Research in Education (IJIRE).
 International Journal of Innovative Research in Education welcomes original empirical investigations and comprehensive literature review articles. The journal aims to promote new innovative ideas in all fields of education.
 The journal provides an international platform for researchers, managers, scientists, professionals and professors of educational sciences to publish high quality refereed papers comprising comprehensive leading trends of education.
 Topics on product design education, cultural heritage acquirements in social studies curriculum, teachers’ perspectives on using smart boards and tablet pc in teaching, attitudes of the teachers towards Fatih Project and the relationship between maternal acceptance-rejection levels and preschool children’s social competence and emotional regulation skills are included into this issue. The topics of the next issue will be different. We will be trying to serve you with our journal with a rich knowledge in which different kinds of topics are discussed in the next volume.
 A total number of fifteen (15) manuscripts were submitted for this issue and each paper has been subjected to double-blind peer review process by the reviewers specialized in the related field. At the end of the review process, a total number of five (5) high quality research papers were selected and accepted for publication for this issue.
 
 We present many thanks to all the contributors who helped us to publish this issue.
 Best regards,
 Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zehra Ozcinar
 Editor – in Chief
 

Evaluating Computer Games for the Professional Development of Teachers

This study aimed to analyse the usefulness of educational computer games in teachers' professional development. The study used the game Atlantis Remixed, which is intended to be a technologically rich and individualized learning environment. The study used formative research to demonstrate what works and what does not work for the use of educational computer games in teachers' professional development, and improvements to be made for this purpose in learning environments in Turkey, where schools are equipped with technologically rich learning and teaching environments as part of the FATIH (the Movement to Increase Opportunities and Technology) project. The study included ten participants. Of these, five were teachers who participated in the implementation, and five were instructional technology experts. The study found both positive and negative results with respect to the use of Atlantis Remixed for teachers' professional development and articulates the participants' opinions and suggestions.

English

The purpose of this study was to analyze teachers’ perspectives on the usage of smart boards and Tablet PCs in the Fatih Project using some variables (gender, branches, school types, educational status etc). The measurement scale of the study was developed and applied with the high school teachers in Duzce. Quantitative research methods were used in the study and screening model was applied. The SPSS 20.0 statistical package program was used to analyze the data. Frequency values, percentages and mean values were used in data analysis; whereas, the One-Way Variance Analysis (ANOVA) and the t-test were used for unconnected sampling. The study samples were 323 teachers chosen haphazardly from amidst teachers from a variety of high schools in Duzce in the 2015-2016 academic year. In general, the teacher viewpoints on the dimensions defined in the measurement tool were observed to be “I am indefinite” or “I am indecisive”. In consequence of the analyses, it was identified that there was a remarkable difference in using Tablet PC PCs on behalf of the male participants according to the gender variable. Seeing that the branch variable, there was a significant difference in using Tablet PC PCs dimension in favor of the foreign language branches; and a significant difference was also found out in using Tablet PC PCs dimension on behalf of the skills class branches. According to school type variable, significant differences were detected in the distribution of the Tablet PC PCs in favor of the vocational high schools. No significant difference was observed according to the graduation variable. In average class population variable, on the other hand, a significant difference was determined in favor of the classes with 26 to 30 students and with 31 and over students in the smart board dimension. Key words: Fatih project, teacher’s viewpoints, smart board, tablet PC, Turkey.

Teacher Perception on Educational Informatics Network: A Qualitative Study of a Turkish Anatolian High School

FATIH Project carried out by the Turkish government is one of the comprehensive technology integration project in the World. With this project, interactive boards, tablets and multifunctional printers have been distributed to schools and Internet infrastructure of schools improved. EIN (Educational Informatics Network) platform, known as EBA (Egitim Bilisim Agi) in Turkey, has been established to access the digital content to be used in conjunction with this technology. In this qualitative study, the process of using EBA was examined by benefiting from teachers’ opinions and experiences; and it was aimed at revealing the problems experienced by teachers while using EBA and opinions regarding the alternatives for existing problems. Based on the content analysis of teachers’ answers, it was concluded that problematic conditions as insufficient systematic structure and content of EBA, inappropriate content for students’ needs and grade level, incompatibility with the changes in instructional programs, central exams pressure, and students’ concentration on teacher-oriented approach had negative impacts on teachers unwilling and/or insufficient EBA use. Therefore, a model was presented to include teachers’ recommendations which are composed of three strategies for the solution of the problems they experienced while using EBA.

Perspectives of Students on Acceptance of Tablets and Self-directed Learning with Technology

Recent mobile learning technologies offer the opportunity for students to take charge of the learning process both inside and outside the classroom. One of these tools is the tablet PC (hereafter ‘tablet’). In parallel with increased access to e-content, the role of tablets in learning has recently begun to be examined. This study aims to reveal the relationship between the level of acceptance of tablets (TAM) and the level of selfdirected learning with technology (SDLT) of students and to differentiate these in terms of gender. A mixed method research design is used in this study. In addition, the qualitative part of the study aims to determine the reasons students have for using or not using tablets for supporting learning. The study group consisted of 414 high school students, involved in the pilot application group of the FATIH project in Turkey. According to the study, a significant positive relationship was determined between four of the variables of tablet acceptance and the SDLT level. While the degree of acceptance of tablets was different according to gender, the SDLT level was not.

İngilizce Öğretmeni Adaylarının FATİH Projesine Yönelik Öz-Yeterlikleri

The aim of this study is to determine teacher candidates’ self-efficacy beliefs towards the usage of Project technologies who study in Faculty of Education, English Language Teaching Department. In the study Convergent Parallel Design was used which is one of the mixed research designs. The quantitative data of the study was collected through FATIH Project Technologies Self-Efficacy Scale from 296 undergraduate students who study in Akdeniz University, Faculty of Education, English Language Teaching Department. The qualitative data was also collected through document analysis and interviews. The scale data was analysed some parametric tests. Furthermore, the research data collected through document analysis was analysed through “Yes or No technique and the data obtained from the interviews was analysed as themes after coding. The results of the data analysis show that participants in the study group have high level of self-efficacy beliefs towards the usage of Project technologies. While teacher candidates’ self-efficacy beliefs towards the usage of Project technologies do not significantly differ according to class, their beliefs significantly differ according to gender in favour of male participants. According to findings gathered from document analysis the course contents prepared by HEC %92,85 allow the teacher qualifications designated by MONE in this context. Moreover interview findings show that teacher candidates have general knowledge about Project. This knowledge is randomly acquired however they have positive ideas about the project. For a higher level of proficiency, more concrete and feasible teaching activities can be developed by matching the project objectives and program outcomes.

Acceptance of Educational Use of Tablet Computers: A Critical View Of The FATIH Project

In Turkey, various ICT tools were integrated into the educational environments through the FATIH Project introduced by the Ministry of National Education while studies concerned with the effective use of ICT in the educational processes began to increase in number and tablet computers were given to students and teachers within the framework of the project. Despite the effort put into the technological infrastructure, in-service training for the teachers and fulfilling other components of the project in order to help the FATIH Project reach its aim, the distribution of the tablet computers was the only action taken in terms of the services intended for the students. The attitudes of the students regarding the project need to be determined in order to ensure sustainability and help the project reach its aims. In this regard, the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) becomes prominent. According to TAM, the students’ beliefs will affect the behavior of the students positively as a result of thinking that using the tablet computers is easy and beneficial while this effect will cause the students to adopt the use of the tablet computers. The study was carried out with 2023 secondary school students who were enrolled in FATIH Project pilot schools in the central province of Bartin province in the spring semester of 2014-2015 academic year. In the end of this study, the secondary education students’ acceptance levels of the educational use of the tablet computers used in the FATIH Project were examined in accordance with TAM and the scale for the acceptance of the tablet computers used in the FATIH Project in terms of educational use was developed. In addition, it has been achieved that giving tablet computers to students, training with FATIH Project technologies and increasing class level negatively affects students' acceptance of educational use of tablet PC in the FATIH Project.

Examination of Teachers’ in-Service Training Needs in the Field of Instructional Technology: An Evaluation in Light of Applications Implemented at FATIH Project

This study aimed at determining the situations/issues that teachers need to be supported through in-service activities within the scope of the project at secondary schools where FATIH Project is implemented. The participants of the study included 60 teachers of different subjects which teach at the schools where FATIH project was implemented and that had participated in “FATIH Training on Technology Use”. A survey, which was entitled “Teachers’ in-service training needs and views within the scope of FATIH project”, developed by the researchers, was used as the data collection instrument in the study. The findings showed that, according to participant teachers, the topics which need to be covered during the in-service training activities are reported as follows: “Use of technology in education”, “The use of internet for educational purposes”, and “Effective use of teaching materials”. Based on the results, it can be stated that although the participant teachers took part in the in-service training activity titled “FATIH Project – In-service Training on the use of Technology”, which covered most of the topics listed above, it is clear that their needs were not met. Thus, it could be emphasized the fact that an effective need analysis is important before a training activity is implemented

Geography Teacher Candidates’ Opinions On FATIH Project

Bu arastirmada 2011 yilinda pilot uygulamasina baslanan FATIH projesinin yurutulmesinde gorev ustlenecek cografya ogretmeni adaylarinin projeye bakis acilari, projenin ulke genelinde esit seviyede uygulanabilme durumu, ogretmen ve ogrenciler acisindan pozitif ve negatif yonleri ile cografya dersleri icin etkileri gibi konularda gorusleri belirlenmeye calisilmistir. Arastirma 2013-2015 yillari arasinda Gazi Universitesi Gazi Egitim Fakultesi Cografya Egitimi Anabilim Dali’nda ogrenim goren 92 ogretmen adayi ile yurutulmustur. Nitel arastirma yontemlerinin kullanildigi bu arastirmanin verileri arastirmaci tarafindan gelistirilen ve uzman gorusleri alinarak son sekli verilen acik uclu soru formu toplanmistir. Ayrica her sinif duzeyinden iki ogrenci olmak uzere toplam 8 ogrenciyle gorusmeler yapilmistir. Veriler icerik analiz yontemi ile analiz edilmistir. Arastirma sonucunda cografya ogretmeni adaylarinin %44,5’i fatih projesi ile ogrencilerin teknoloji kullanma becerilerinin gelisecegini ve projenin egitimde kalite ve verim artisi saglayacagini dusunmektedir. Katilimcilarin yaridan fazlasi caga ayak uydurabilmek icin projenin onemli ve gerekli oldugunu vurgulamistir. Adaylar, bolgeler arasi ekonomik ve cografi farkliliklar ile ogretmen-ogrenci hazirbulunusluk duzeylerinin farkli olmasi nedeniyle projenin ulke genelinde esit bicimde uygulanamayacagi gorusundedir. Ogretmen adaylarinin %47,8’i kidemli ogretmenleri teknoloji kullanma becerileri dusuk oldugu icin proje onunde engel olarak gormektedir. Bu baglamda ogretmen adaylarinin universitede, gorev yapan ogretmenlerin ise hizmet ici egitim ve kurslarla proje hakkinda bilgi ve yeterlilik duzeylerinin artirilmasi onerilmektedir.

English

Technology plays an important role in educational activities in Turkey. This is largely because of the Faith Project, which was recently introduced into the country. The Fatih Project is a project of Turkish government which seeks to integrate computer technology into the country’s public education system. Education Informatics Network is one of the sub projects of the Faith Project which makes many free websites available for teachers’ use. Furthermore, Ministry of Turkish National Education has included primary schools in the project and as a result, the usage of education platforms at primary schools is available now. Considering all the mentioned points, the purpose of this study was to find out classroom teachers' opinions in employing the education platforms in teaching. The participants of this study consist of teachers working in the city of Mersin, Turkey. The data were gathered from 116 primary school teachers working in the first, second, third and fourth grades, by using a semi-structured interview with 7 open-ended questions. The data were analyzed based on a descriptive research design. Besides, a qualitative approach was employed based on the answers given in the interview. The data and their frequencies are presented in tables. As a result of the data obtained from the study, it has been concluded that class teachers think education platforms are useful, the usage frequency of education platforms varies relative to different factors; and education platforms are used in an attempt to provide effective and permanent learning. Moreover, it was also stated in the study that teachers are not competent in using these education platform and they lack the required background knowledge. Consequently, several suggestions have been made to eliminate the mentioned inadequacies. Key words: Education platforms, primary school teacher, technology, the Fatih Project.

Facebook habits among adolescents

Facebook is the most popular social network in most nations and in Turkey. It is argued that it can involve insecure behavior in adolescents. Teenagers in Turkey are to receive tablet computers nationwide through the FATIH project. Personal availability is likely to impact Internet and Facebook habits. Also, with lack of social support, teens might more intensely engage in Facebook. This study identifies teens who are more likely to perform less secure Facebook activities. A survey was conducted on 4,261 middle and high school students in Turkey. Logistic regressions were run to predict the likelihood of Facebook-related behaviors. Results showed that teens who perceive support from significant others, males, metropolitans, and teens who have more tablet computer opportunities, competencies and beliefs were more likely to engage in risky activities. Family support significantly reduced the likelihood of risky behaviors. Results call for promoting family support and monitoring tablet computer habits. Teens should be educated about social network threats and privacy.

How Special are Teachers of Specialized Schools? Assessing Self-Confidence Levels in the Technology Domain

Background:This study investigates whether specialized high school mathematics teachers, chosen to educate selected students, are mentally ready to integrate Fatih project technologies into their teaching.Materials and methods:Forty mathematics teachers from randomly selected specialized and general high schools in Ankara responded to a survey comprising 31 items grouped under four measures of self-confidence in the technology domain.Results:An independent t-test revealed no statistically significant difference between specialized and general high school teachers’ self-confidence levels.Conclusions:We conclude that technological pedagogical content knowledge can be an essential criterion for selecting specialized school teachers, who educate the country’s future innovators.

Turkish Pre-Service Teachers' Experiences with Contemporary Technology Games and Perceptions About Teaching with Instructional Games

The present study investigates pre-service teachers' experience about playing technology games and their opinions about using contemporary technology to play games as an instructional tool. The participants are 272 pre-service teachers from a university in Middle Anatolia. The present study used mixed methods. The data was collected through an online survey that was created by the authors. The survey contains demographic questions about the participants` gender, major, whether they play technology games or not, and questions about which technology games they play, their opinions about using technology (IWBs and tablets) to play games for instruction, and for which instructional purposes they plan using technology to play games. Following research questions were investigated for the current study: 1. Whether pre-service teachers play technology games or not? If yes, which technology games they play? 2. Whether pre-service teachers plan to use interactive white boards and tablets that were distributed by the government under FATIH project to play technology games for educational purposes? 3. Whether pre-teachers' opinions about using the IWBs and tablets to play instructional games associated with their gender and playing technology games? 4. For which instructional purposes pre-service teachers plan to use IWBs and tablets to play instructional games? For the second and third questions descriptive statistics and crosstabs were conducted. For the first and fourth questions content analysis was applied. Fifty-four percent (n=148) of the pre-service teachers agreed to use the IWBs and tablets to play technology games for educational purposes while 46% (n=124) did not. There is no statistically significant association between gender and plans using the IWBs and tablets to play instructional games. There was a statistically significant association between who Playing Technology Games and Plans Using IWBs and Tablets to Play Instructional Games. Pre-service teachers who play technology games reported higher scores than the ones who do not play technology games. The participants suggested that using IWBs and tablets to play games would make learning fun and easy. The study has implications for teacher education and K-12 education policy. The present study also adds to the knowledge of whether the Y-generation pre-service teachers find the recent technology games useful for education or not.

Usability Benchmarks for Interactive Whiteboards: Lessons Learned from Turkey’s Fatih Project

The use of interactive whiteboards is spreading rapidly in educational settings. Turkey initiated a huge budgeted project called “FATIH” to integrate interactive whiteboards to public schools. In the scope of this study, usability evaluation of the interactive whiteboard system used in Fatih Project is conducted by implementing a user test with the first group of teachers who are inexperienced users of the system. In addition a usability questionnaire was applied to both experienced and inexperienced groups of teachers. The data was analyzed with descriptive statistics. Problems about the sensitiveness of touch feature of the board, complex menu structure, incapability of the software for opening different file formats and inconsistencies about the software features were revealed as main usability problems. Finally, short evaluation checklist is formed to provide guidance on the assessment of usability issues when adopting any interactive whiteboard system. K eywords— usability, usability evaluation, Fatih project, Starboard software, interactive whiteboard