The mediating roles of internal context variables in the relationship between distributed leadership perceptions and continuous change behaviours of public school teachers

This study aims at building a theoretical base for continuous change in education and using this base to test the mediating roles of two key contextual variables, knowledge sharing and trust, in the relationship between the distributed leadership perceptions and continuous change behaviours of teachers. Data were collected from 687 public school teachers. The results showed that the combined effect of knowledge sharing and faculty trust in principal mediated the relationship between teachers’ distributed leadership perceptions and continuous change behaviours. The directions of the coefficients of the relationships between the independent variable and the dependent variable suggested that higher distributed leadership perception leads to increased knowledge sharing and trust in principal, which in turn was associated with greater continuous change behaviours. The study showed that school systems have an extensive capacity for self-improvement, even in the absence of a pre-developed change plan.     

Diffusion of distance education in Turkish higher education

Conclusion In this paper, Rogers's diffusion theory was used to analyze the acceptance and implementation of the innovation of distance education in higher education in Turkey. Distance education was not successfully adopted between 1970 and 1980 in Turkey because of organizational problems. Distance education was effectively and efficiently diffused in Turkey after 1982. Thousands of students today earn university diplomas studying at a distance. On the other hand, problems of organization, technology, and perceptions remain to be addressed. It is to be hoped that in the future the OEF will be independent or have more autonomy. This will help it deliver instruction to its students.the evaluator of the Learning Community Link Project at the University.     

Pre-service teachers’ cultural and teaching experiences abroad

This study investigates Turkish pre-service teachers’ experiences related to a two-month international teaching and cultural experience in the United States of America. In total, 289 graduate students from Turkey participated in a collaborative project from 2001 to 2010. The experience included an orientation week, six weeks of student teaching in a high school, seminars and projects at Iowa State University and cultural visits. The data were collected through a pre-service teacher questionnaire and their reflective journals. The results showed that pre-service teachers perceived the international teaching experience helped them develop professionally and personally. Through cross-cultural exchanges with their mentors along with other students and their community, the pre-service teachers expanded their knowledge of a new culture and adapted to a new working environment.     

Measuring the perceived quality of an AR-based learning application: a multidimensional model

Augmented reality (AR) technologies could enhance learning in several ways. The quality of an AR-based educational platform is a combination of key features that manifests in usability, usefulness, and enjoyment for the learner. In this paper, we present a multidimensional model to measure the quality of an AR-based application as perceived by students. The model is specified by a second-order factor (perceived quality) and three dimensions: ergonomic quality, learning quality, and hedonic quality. The purpose of this model is to embody previous research into a coherent framework for the evaluation of AR-based educational platforms and to provide guidance for researchers and practitioners. The model was empirically validated on a Chemistry learning scenario and the results confirm the importance of both the learning and hedonic quality.     

The Enhancement of Endogenous Capacities in Science and its Application to Technological Development

Although inhibited by ideology, science and technology (S&T) managed to make some progress during the socialist periods in Central and South Eastern Europe. Even when transition came after 1989, inhibition remained for the following reasons: the lack of objectives and strategies, institutional fluctuations, inadequate funding, the dissolution of internal solidarity, and inadequate S&T management. Through the assistance of such inter-European programmes as TEMPUS and SOCRATES, a new paradigm of S&T has been introduced in the sub-region based on international competition, computerization, and networking, and an emphasis on excellence in the exploitation of the knowledge revolution. The dichotomy of theoretical and practical science is being reduced through the links between higher education and industry and the increasing use of university science parks as incubators of ideas in the interface of higher education and science.     

Evaluation of a mobile information system in context

The motivation for this work has been to provide relevant information to the right situation for mobile phone users. We have iteratively developed applications for travellers and tourists to provide a general travel guide with local tourist information. This used a combination of wireless tag technology and information from content service providers. The paper presents our evaluation methodology and how we used it to develop the applications.     

Moral reasoning patterns and influential factors in the context of environmental problems

This study investigated pre-service science teachers’ (PSTs’) moral reasoning patterns and the factors underlying these reasoning patterns. Local and non-local environmental dilemmas were used to examine moral reasoning patterns. An explanatory design was used with the collection and analysis of quantitative data, which was subsequently refined using qualitative interview data. For the quantitative part of the study, PSTs were asked to comment on four local and non-local environmental dilemmas (i.e. deforestation, e-waste, oil spills, and global warming). The responses were categorized as ecocentric, anthropocentric, or non-environmental reasoning. The findings showed that the participants’ moral reasoning focused on both ecocentric and anthropocentric perspectives, with a few displaying non-environmental reasoning. Concern for environmental problems was related to perceptions of whether the issue was directly related to nature, and was independent of whether the issues were local or non-local. The Moral Decision Making Interview protocol was used in the qualitative part of the study. Analysis revealed that the participants’ moral decisions were based on their resolutions in situational context and their concerns showed variations in their moral reasoning due to different factors like, effect on human life, formal principles, notion of rights, moral emotions, potential harm to others, and popular culture.     

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PREDICT–OBSERVE–EXPLAIN TECHNIQUE IN PROBING STUDENTS’ UNDERSTANDING ABOUT ACID–BASE CHEMISTRY: A CASE FOR THE CONCEPTS OF pH, pOH, AND STRENGTH

The present study describes high school students’ conceptions about acids and bases in terms of pH, pOH, microscopic level, strength, and concentration. A total of 27 high school students participated in the study. The data was collected using 3 POE tasks and a semi-structured interview. The data analysis demonstrated that most of the students had poor understanding related to a drawing of weak and strong acids. In addition, the findings revealed that the POE’s were effective in terms of gathering students’ predictions and reasons for the prediction of outcomes in an open-ended format. The POE tasks also revealed that some of the students had misconceptions regarding pH and pOH. The students believed that pH was a measurement of the acidity, while pOH was a measurement of the basicity. The findings obtained have certain implications for the secondary chemistry program.