High Schools In Turkey Research Articles

The Effects of Using Google Docs on Writing Skills of Turkish EFL Learners

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of teaching writing skills via Google Docs in a blended learning environment on error correction skills of Turkish EFL learners. In total, there were 50 students from the 10th grade at a public high school in Turkey. The data were collected through a pretest and a posttest in the experimental and control group. According to the statistical results, it was found that there was a significant difference between the posttest scores of the experimental and control group regarding content, organization, vocabulary, grammatical concepts, capitalization, spelling and punctuation, but not in terms of mechanics. In light of the results, using Google Docs in a blended learning environment seems promising to enhance writing skills of language learners by providing immediate feedback and error correction facilities. Anahtar sözcükler: Web 2.0 tools, Google Docs, writing skills, error correction skills

Perceived parental psychological control and the risk of internet gaming disorder in adolescents: a cross-sectional study

It is stated that parental psychological control (PC), which appears to hinder psychological development in children and adolescents, is associated with internet gaming disorder (IGD). However, parenting styles and practices vary across cultures. For this reason, to determine the risk of IGD in adolescents who are in the process of psychological development and to prevent it at an early stage, there is a need to better understand the effect of PC on the development of IGD. In this context, this study aims to examine the impact of perceived parental psychological control on the risk of Internet gaming disorder in Turkish adolescents. A cross-sectional design was used. The sample group consisted of 4498 students from eight public high schools in Turkey. Participant Information Form, the Psychological Control Scale, and the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale Short Form were used for collecting data. Univariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that the risk of IGD increased as maternal disrespect-maternal psychological control and father disrespect scores increased. Paternal psychological control score had no significant effect on IGD risk. In the multivariate model, age, father’s education level, spending money on games, time spent playing daily games on weekdays and weekends, and father’s psychological score were found to be associated with IGD risk. The effects of maternal disrespect and maternal psychological control scores on the IGD risk varied according to the number of siblings and the education level of the mother. As a result, parental PC was determined to affect the risk of IGD in Turkish adolescents significantly.

Türkiye’de Farklı Lise Türlerindeki Öğrencilerin Eğitim Yörüngelerinin Kesişimselliği Üzerine Fenomenolojik Bir Araştırma

In this research, we examined the student practices of high school students in different types of high schools in Turkey in the light of Bourdieu's concepts of habitus and cultural capital. While tracing the essences of student practices with a phenomenological approach, we tried to make explicit what lies at the intersections of different types of high schools in terms of these practices and how the educational trajectories of students in these high schools are shaped and reshaped. We conducted the research in six different types of high schools in Ankara. Through a phenomenological analysis of in-depth interviews with 96 high school students and a total of seven mothers, we explored student practices and the interrelationships between habitus and cultural capital in the home and school environments. As a result of this analysis, we interpreted the essences that cut across the educational trajectories of students positioned in different types of high schools as living with the illusion of school choice, declaring the position with a sense of entitlement, engagement with cultural fields through cultural consumption habits, and utilizing sports for the presentation of self. The main result of the research shows that although students are positioned in different trajectories, the essence of their student practices does not change. We believe that this result should be explained from the perspective that the existence of different types of schools or different routes for students cannot guarantee the social mobility of individuals, but continues to serve the reproduction of all the historical and social contingencies that create these students' positionality.

The Mediating Role of Mindfulness in the Relationship between Psychological Resilience and Test Anxiety in Adolescents

Abstract Introduction: The examination of variables such as resilience and mindfulness, which may help adolescents who are enrolled in distance education cope with test anxiety, is important in terms of reducing test anxiety and increasing the efficiency of distance education. For this reason, it was aimed to examine the mediating role of mindfulness in the relationship between students’ psychological resilience and test anxiety. Methods: The study group included 840 high school students. Baron and Kenny’s causal steps approach was applied to investigate the mediating effect of conscious awareness on the relationship between psychological resilience and test anxiety. In addition, the bootstrapping method proposed by Hayes was used to determine the significance of the mediating effect of conscious awareness. Results: It was observed that there was a negative relationship between psychological resilience scores and test anxiety scores, a positive relationship between resilience and mindfulness scores, and a negative relationship between test anxiety scores and mindfulness scores. While psychological resilience had a negative effect on test anxiety, the indirect effect of psychological resilience on test anxiety was also found to be significant. Mindfulness provided partial mediation of the effect of resilience on test anxiety. Discussion: High levels of awareness and psychological resilience enable students to experience less stress. Conscious awareness, like psychological resilience, is therefore viewed as an important resource that enables a person to manage stressful situations, and it is believed to be effective in reducing one’s anxiety. Limitations: This study was limited to students enrolled in Anatolian high schools in Turkey who could be reached via convenience sampling, whose parents consented to their participation, and who were enrolled in distance education in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, a major limitation of the study is that data were only collected from students of Anatolian high schools, and the majority of the participating students were in their first or second years of high school. Conclusions: There is no prior direct research examining the mediating role of conscious awareness in the relationship between psychological resilience and test anxiety among high school students in the literature. In this regard, it is anticipated that this study will contribute to the literature. Within the scope of preventive guidance, educational guidance, and psychological counseling services, face-to-face and online psychoeducation programs based on conscious awareness can be designed by school psychological counselors to enhance psychological resilience, reduce students’ test anxiety, and support adolescents in coping with intensely stressful situations such as pandemics.

An experimental study exploring the effects of predict–observe–explain method supported with simulations

ABSTRACT Background Since the early 20th century, research has been conducted on how to ensure optimal learning. With the developing and changing technology, different teaching methodologies and environments such as simulation, virtual lab, and interactive video have created the opportunity for educators to use them for this purpose. Nowadays, these are applied alone or in combination with different methods according to the student’s needs, subject, and environment. Purpose This study investigated the effect of using predict-observe-explain (POE) tasks enriched with computer simulations for the explanation part on 9th graders’ physics achievement. Additionally, the possible role of gender in this effect was examined. Sample The study was conducted with 107 9th graders (53 males and 54 females) from a high school in Turkey. The experimental group (n = 49) received POE tasks enriched with computer simulations, while the control group (n = 58) received traditional POE tasks. Design and Method A quasi-experimental design with a pretest-posttest control group was used for his purpose. Result The results showed that the experimental group outperformed the control group regarding physics achievement. Furthermore, the effect of the intervention was found to be equally effective for both females and males. These findings suggest that the use of POE tasks enriched with computer simulations can be an effective instructional strategy to enhance students’ physics achievement.

Turkish science high school students’ mental models of the electron cloud

This study focuses on examining the mental models of 11th and 12th-grade students attending a science high school in Turkey regarding the concept of the electron cloud. The study involved 72 students and employed the case study method. The precondition for selecting the sample was that the students had covered the unit on modern atomic theory in their chemistry classes. The concept of the electron cloud chosen for the study is integrated into the units of “Atom and Periodic System” and “Modern Atomic Theory.” To guide the research questions, the progression of the lessons and activities within the unit were observed in three-week intervals across different classes taught by the participating teacher. Research data were collected using a data collection tool consisting of 7 open-ended questions, considering the high school chemistry course objectives. The research questions were prepared in three categories: conceptual, relational, and visual. A rubric was developed for data analysis, and codes corresponding to levels of understanding were determined. At the end of the evaluation, three mental models were identified: the electron cloud model, the hybrid/synthesis electron cloud model, and the primitive model. For these models, eight mental model categories have been determined: fully scientific, partially scientific, conceptual, relational, conceptual–relational, conceptual-visual, relational-visual, and incompatible. At the conclusion of the study, only 5.56% of students provided answers at the scientific understanding level for all categories, placing them in the full scientific model category under the electron cloud model. 16.67% of students fell into the partial scientific model category, while 75.29% demonstrated a hybrid/synthesized electron cloud model. A small portion, 2.78%, adopted a primitive model.

Türk Adölesan Öğrencilerde Okul Tükenmişliği ve Kariyer Kaygısı

High school is a period when adolescents often experience career anxiety. Career anxiety can increase school burnout, and school burnout can intensify career anxiety. The objective of this study was to identify the relationship between adolescent students' burnout and career anxiety. This is a descriptive study. The 490 voluntary adolescent students studying at a state high school in Turkey constituted the sample of the research. The students have a mean age of 15.77 (SD = 3.46), and 55.3% are female. The total School Burnout Scale (SBS) mean score: 96.48 (SD = 12.20), and total Career Anxiety Scale (CAS) score: 49.56 (SD = 7.48) of the students. Statistically significant positive correlations were found between the total score and subscale scores of SBS and CAS. Female students had statistically lower CAS scores and higher SBS compared to male students. Students whose mothers had a bachelor's/master's degree had lower CAS scores and higher SBS compared to students whose mothers had other education levels. Additionally, there was a statistically significant positive correlation between students' age and SBS total and CAS total scores (p

Investigating the association between principal learning-centred leadership and teacher instructional practices: the mediating roles of teacher self-efficacy and collective teacher efficacy

ABSTRACT The purpose of the current study was to investigate the relationship between principal learning-centred leadership and teacher instructional practices, with the mediating role of teacher self-efficacy and collective teacher efficacy. Drawing data from a sample of 1219 teachers in secondary and high schools in Turkey, this study employed a cross-sectional survey design. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling were conducted to analyse the data. The findings provided evidence of a small direct association between learning-centred leadership and teacher instructional practices and an indirect relationship mediated by teacher self-efficacy and collective teacher efficacy. Drawing on empirical data from a developing non-Western context, our results contribute nuance to the global knowledge base by confirming the positive and direct link between learning-centred leadership and teacher practices. Our results also underscore the significant mediating role of teacher self-efficacy and collective teacher efficacy between these two constructs. We discuss the implications for policymakers and practitioners.

Taking Advantage of L2 Errors in EFL Learners’ Written Language Production

This qualitative study investigates the errors committed by Turkish EFL learners and the rate of spelling mistakes to grammar errors in learners’ paragraphs. In order to examine these issues, 19 participants studying at a private high school in Turkey took part in this study. The qualitative data were collected through students’ paragraphs written in English. A content and a descriptive analysis were employed to analyze the data. The grammar errors were categorized as errors of omission, addition, misformation, and double types throughout the scrutiny. The errors were related to various grammatical elements such as verbs, articles, verb inflections, noun inflections, and prepositions. The most frequent error category was omission, and the grammar elements the students errored most were prepositions. The results also showed that the students’ grammar errors were approximately two times more than their spelling mistakes. Given the results of this study, some suggestions for future studies and pedagogical implications were provided.

A coping model for school psychological counsellors: Aqualitative study.

This study analyzed the coping processes of psychological counsellors working in high schools in Turkey in the face of the challenges experienced in counselling sessions. The study used a qualitative research design: grounded theory. Semistructured interviews conducted with 33 high school counsellors were analyzed following Strauss and Corbin's analysis guidelines to create a coping model. The core category in the model was 'coping' while 'actions/reactions' explained what counsellors do to cope. Finally, 'environmental factors' and 'personal factors' influenced their coping processes. The findings are discussed in light of the existing literature to provide suggestions for school counsellors to develop self-care/coping strategies, increase their resilience and decrease their burnout.

İngilizce Öğretmenlerinin eTwinning Deneyimleri ve Mesleki Gelişimlerine Etkisi

Project-based learning through Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) has become more important for English as a foreign language (EFL) learners and teachers these days. Therefore, national and international projects have been facilitated by the integration of technology. This study aims to investigate the perceptions of EFL teachers on eTwinning. A qualitative research design was used to explore the experiences of EFL teachers who have already completed eTwinning projects and are currently carrying out them with EFL learners and gain in-depth understanding about the advantages and disadvantages of eTwinning projects in terms of their professional development. A total of 10 EFL teachers working at secondary and high schools in Turkey participated in the study. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed with inductive analysis. The results showed that EFL teachers had positive attitudes towards participating in eTwinning projects. They reported that eTwinning projects contributed to their professional development since it created an international network of EFL teachers, providing an opportunity to share their teaching experiences, and develop their technological and pedagogical content knowledge and organizational skills. Moreover, it was stated that these projects motivated the teachers to plan and organize similar projects and help them gain recognition among their colleagues and appreciation in their workplace.

An alternative path of embodying geometrical concepts: Student gestures

This study aims to reveal how the embodied cognition of certain geometrical concepts of secondary-school students arises via gestures and what kinds of gestures they produce while engaging with different concepts. The study participants comprised four eleventh-grade students studying at a state high school in Turkey. The study focused on the gestures of students related to angle, a measure of an angle, congruence-similarity, and translation. Data were gathered via video-recorded focus group discussions and individual interviews, and the cognition of the students for each concept was coded using content analysis. According to the research findings, it was found that the deictic gestures of the participants reflect the grounding of cognition in the physical environment; representational gestures manifest mental simulations of action and perception, and some metaphoric gestures reflect body-based conceptual metaphors.

The Significance of Metacognitive Awareness in overcoming the challenges of Listening skills for Turkish learners during the learning period.

Although listening is an important skill in English teaching, it has mostly been a neglected skill in secondary and high schools in Turkey. Turkish learners find learning English challenging because of the difficulties that arise from the pronunciation of English. 
 
 The failure of the Turkish learners in English learning period mostly brings about a nagging anxiety to learn English language over the learners. Cognitive, Metacognitive, and Socio-affective strategies can help the learners alleviate their anxiety to learn English. 
 
 Less proficient learners prefer bottom-up and cognitive strategies. Nevertheless , proficient learners prefer top-down and metacognitive strategies. Learning English may be a challenging period for EFL (English as a Foreign language) learners in non-natural environment.

The Examination of High School Students' Opinions on Difficulties in English Language Learning in terms of Some Variables

This study aimed at determining the opinions of high school students on difficulties they faced as they were learning English and examining these opinions within the framework of some variables. It is a fact that some factors can affect the level and type of difficulty that are experienced. Thus, it was searched that if the factors of gender, grade and parents’ education level was related to the difficulties that English learners encountered. A descriptive survey study was conducted. The participants of the study were 305 high school students who enrolled in different high schools in Turkey. In order to collect data, English Language Learning Difficulties Scale (ELLDS), which was developed by Mehdiyev, Uğurlu and Usta (2017 was used. Data analysis was performed on an R program. The total score of ELLDS and its sub-factors of Interest-Willingness (IW), Practice (P), Setting-Material (SM) and Social Opportunities (SO) were dependent variables, while gender, grade level, mother's education and father's education were independent variables. The findings showed that the difficulties did not show significant differences according to gender and fathers’ education level. On the other hand, grade level of students and mothers’ education level were found to be related with the difficulties that the high school students encountered in English language learning.

English language teachers' assessment procedure during covid19 pandemic: Challenges and solutions

The aim of the current research is to investigate the language assessment literacy perceptions of EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teachers working at state primary, middle, and high schools in Turkey. Another purpose of the study was to investigate how EFL teachers adapted their language assessment skills to the online teaching context during the Covid- 19 pandemic, and to what extent. Additionally, challenges and solutions of teachers in transforming their language assessment skills into online education were investigated. A mixed-methods study was employed as the research design. The study obtained and triangulated both qualitative and quantitative data to enhance its validity. In the quantitative phase, Vogt and Tsagari (2014)'s LAL questionnaire which includes three factors i.e. Language Testing and Assessment (LTA), classroom-focused LTA, and purposes of testing, content and concepts of LTA was administered to the participants. The quantitative data were descriptively analysed through the SPSS program in order to identify EFL teachers' training levels and needs in online language assessment. The qualitative data for the study were gathered through written structured interviews with (n) EFL teachers and analyzed using inductive methods. The study's findings revealed that the teachers have a high level of assessment literacy in terms of both face-to-face and online assessment and are familiar with basic assessment tools. However, there is a gap between their theoretical knowledge of assessment and their classroom practices. Additionally, the teachers expressed a need for more in-service training in assessing the skills of English language learners in online environments.

Ergen Davranışsal Aktivasyon Programının Uyarlanması ve Etkililiğinin Karma Yöntem ile İncelenmesi

In this study, the Adolescent Behavioral Activation Program (A-BAP) based on behavioral activation (BA) therapy to reduce depressive symptoms in adolescents was adapted to Turkish culture, and its effectiveness was tested with intervention design, one of the mixed method designs. In this direction, experimental and control groups were formed with 20 students studying in three different high schools in Turkey and with highly elevated depressive symptoms. The study group was determined by nested sampling from mixed-method sampling strategies. The starting point of this study is the absence of any BA-based practice to reduce adolescent depression in Turkey. In this direction, experimental and control groups were formed with 20 students studying in three different high schools in Turkey and with highly elevated depressive symptoms. The adapted A-BAP was applied individually to the students in the experimental group for 12 weeks. Three sessions were also held with the parents of the students in the experimental group. In the quantitative phase of the study, pre-test and post-test control groups paired patterns from semi-experimental designs, and a case study was used in the qualitative stage. The qualitative data of the study were collected from adolescents and their parents through semi-structured interviews and session evaluation forms. It was determined that the adapted BA-based A-BAP was an effective intervention in reducing depressive symptoms in the Turkish adolescent sample and provided a significant decrease in the depression scores of the participants in the experimental group . The qualitative findings show that adolescents perceive the A-BAP process as a factor contributing to making them feel better. Adolescents have reported that A-BAP is effective in reducing avoidance behavior, achieving anger control, and increasing self-esteem and social interaction. Parents consider A-BAP as a developer, educator, and practice that reduces depressive symptoms in their children. In addition, it was determined that the qualitative findings obtained supported the quantitative results. Since the study is the first application of BA therapy in Turkey, it is thought that it will contribute to new studies in Turkey and intercultural studies at the international level.

Teachers' Views on the Communication Skills of School Administrators: A Mixed Method Research

The purpose of the present study was to determine teachers' views on the communication skills of school administrators through a mixed methods design. Although quantitative or qualitative studies deal with the communication skills of school principals according to teacher perceptions, the number of studies conducted in mixed design is quite low. The study's quantitative data were obtained from 368, and the qualitative data were obtained from 20 teachers working in primary, secondary, and high schools in Acıpayam and Tavas districts of Denizli province in Turkey. The data were collected via the "Interpersonal Communication Skills Scale of Primary School Administrators" developed by Şahin (2007) and through an interview form developed by the researchers. For the quantitative data analysis, arithmetic mean, standard deviation, t-test and one-way analysis of variance were applied as a content analysis were carried out in the qualitative data analysis. When the results were examined, it was observed that the communication skills of the school administrators were at a high level, and it was revealed that their communication skills were at the highest level in the dimension of "giving confidence", while it was at the lowest level in the dimension of "giving feedback". There are significant differences in school administrators' communication skill levels considering the branch's variables, teachers' tenure at school, school type, and the number of teachers. It has been seen that the quantitative and qualitative data of the research support each other.

Infographic applications in cooperative groups in physics teaching

Contrary to the results of some studies, is online education expected to be as effective as face-to-face education? If this question is answered in the affirmative, how can a design be made for Physics education? This research aims to determine the effectiveness of infographic-assisted physics teaching with collaborative groups in teaching physics subjects online, face-to-face, and coeducational settings. In this research, action research method was used and both qualitative and quantitative findings were analyzed. The sample of the study consists of 168 students studying in one of the high schools in Turkey, where one of the researchers teaches physics. Four different data collection tools were used in the study. These tools are: a five-point Likert-type questionnaire, one consisting of 17 questions and the other 20 questions, an interview form consisting of 4 questions, and rubrics consisting of 6 items. Quantitative findings were evaluated with SPSS and qualitative findings were evaluated with the help of content analysis. According to the results obtained from the research findings, infographic applications in collaborative groups offered in different learning environments such as online, face-to-face, and hybrid learning contribute positively to the development of students’ self-efficacy and social skills for learning physics lessons. Applications carried out with infographic-supported collaborative groups (ISCGs); these applications contributed to the development of physics learning, attitude toward physics lessons, and social skills of students studying in online, face-to-face, and hybrid learning environments. It has been determined that these practices contribute positively to the elimination of academic and social differences among students. On the other hand, when ISCG applications in Physics education are carried out together with online education, which is perceived as disadvantageous, it increases the group responsibilities of the students and enables them to have equal opportunities with the environments where face-to-face education is provided. The technological content of ISCG applications affects the attitudes of high school students positively and ensures their active participation in the activities throughout the process.

The Effect of Argumentation-Based Organic Chemistry Teaching on Students’ Argument Construction Skills

Some students could not learn organic chemistry because of the difficulty of its submicroscopic nature. In this study, it was aimed to determine the effect of argumentation-based organic chemistry teaching on high school students’ argument construction skills so on their meaningful concept learning. The study was conducted on 14 high school students at a vocational high school in Turkey on organic chemistry topics through 28 hours period based on the case study. The teaching guide’s worksheets and students’ observation notes were used as data collection tools. Through the application process, the students criticized each of the seven submicroscopic nature of organic chemistry concepts’ paintings in big group discussions, then constructed their own arguments. Then the students evaluated the whole process. Content analysis was employed for the data analysis. Argumentation making students criticize the submicroscopic nature of organic chemistry resulted in a qualified student-constructed argument by making them understand the submicroscopic nature so become critical thinkers. Students’ process evaluation also underlined that the process made students joyful, motivated, creative, criticizer, and meaningful learners with a differently constructed learning environment. For further studies, different argumentation-based organic chemistry teaching environments could be offered.
 Anahtar Kelimeler
 Chemistry teaching, submicroscopic nature of chemistry, argumentation, critical thinking

Back to School After School Closure in the Pandemic: Student Discipline Problems

The study was carried out to determine the disciplinary problems students experienced on returning to school after the pandemic. This is a case study, one of the qualitative research designs conducted with five principals working in high schools in Turkey, who volunteered to participate in the research in the first semester of the 2021–2022 academic year. Principals were selected according to the snowball sampling method. In the research, disciplinary problems were handled as personal, against friends, and disorganizing problems. When the reasons for disciplinary problems are examined, they are psychological, technological, social-emotional, familial, academic, and school orders. The measures by principals taken are reward-punishment and positive language and approaches.