Investigating the impact of teacher education strategies on preservice teachers' TPACK

The purpose of this study was to examine preservice teachers' perceptions of the support their teacher education programs provide for developing their technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK). The research was conducted with 215 preservice teachers in the last year of teacher education programs and teaching certificate programs in three universities in Turkey. Data sources were the synthesis of qualitative evidence (SQD) scale that was validated in the Turkish context as part of this study and the TPACK-practical scale. The strategies investigated in the SQD-model included: using teacher educators as role models; reflecting on the role of technology in education; learning how to use technology by design; collaboration with peers; scaffolding authentic technology experiences; and providing continuous feedback. The linear regression analysis revealed a positive relation between teacher education strategies and preservice teachers' TPACK. Reflection and teacher educators' as role models were the most frequently used teacher education strategies in teacher education programs included in this study. Results provided recommendations for further research on the connection between the teacher education strategies and the development of preservice teachers' TPACK in teacher education programs.     

The role of L1 and L2 working memory in literal and inferential comprehension in L2 reading

Reading span as a measure of L1 or L2 working memory capacity is shown to be related to L2 reading comprehension. Albeit limited, there is research on the relationship between both L1 and L2 reading spans and their roles in L2 reading comprehension, yet these studies take reading as a global construct rather than delving into its multi‐level representational architecture. This study differentiates itself from previous research in that it investigates the relationship of both L1 and L2 reading spans to L2 reading comprehension, while taking into account two reading dimensions, namely, literal understanding and inferential comprehension. Findings reveal no significant difference between L1 and L2 storage capacities, although task processing in L1 is more accurate compared to that in L2. Generally, L1 and L2 processing tasks correlate positively as do L1 and L2 stoarge tasks. Finally, only L2 reading span has a meaningful relationship with L2 inferential comprehension.     

E-learning in life long education: A computational approach to determining listening comprehension ability

E-Learning is the use of telecommunication technology to deliver information for education and training and it is emerging as the new paradigm of modern education. Because of the increasing amount of technology integration in the learning environment, more and more studies focus on examining “how people learn with technology” This study was conducted to find out how computer assisted language learning contributes to learners’ ability to develop listening comprehension. The results revealed that learner computer anxiety, instructor attitude toward e-Learning, e-Learning course flexibility, e-Learning course quality, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and diversity in assessments are the critical factors affecting learners’ perceived satisfaction.     

The effect of web-based portfolio use on academic achievement and retention

The web-based portfolio emerged as a result of the influence of technological developments on educational practices. In this study, the effect of the web-based portfolio building process on academic achievement and retention is explored. For this purpose, a study platform known as a computer-assisted personal development portfolio was designed for 30 Turkish students who participated in a web-based portfolio process. The academic achievements of the students were examined through an experimental design in which participants were divided into an experimental group and a control group and given a pre-test and a post-test. The results of the study revealed that the levels of both academic achievement and retention in the experimental group were significantly higher than those in the control group. Similar practices can be applied to the teaching of medicine, economics, physical sciences, humanities and other subjects in order to extend students?? performance and achievement levels.     

Multidimensional analyzing of the microteaching applications in teacher education via videograph

Microteaching is a practice – based teaching method that can be applied at various stages in teacher training programs and it gives the opportunity to engage in self-evaluation and to eliminate or correct inadequacies of both pre-service and in-service teachers. It is believed that this study is important in determining the inadequacies of prospective teachers through microteaching applications, and in determining the steps to be taken to eliminate the inadequacies. Therefore, this study aims to exhibit prospective teachers’ individual, methodological and social performances through two microteaching applications. It is found from this research that prospective teachers’ discipline over the classroom developed, and students’ motivation and their interest in the lesson increased with reinforcement and effective communication in the second microteaching application. This showed that feedback given at the end of the first microteaching application was effective.     

Teacher candidates’ self-efficacy beliefs and possible selves throughout the teaching practice period in Turkey

This research aims to study the change observed in self-efficacy beliefs and possible selves of teacher candidates regarding their first year in the profession after the completion of teaching practice. The research has a mix design method utilizing both qualitative and quantitative data collection tools. The quantitative part of the research has been prepared in accordance with pretest/posttest model with single group. In this context, 70 teacher candidates have been administered both “Teacher’s Sense of Efficacy Scale” and “New Teacher Possible Selves Questionnaire” at the beginning and end of the term as pretest and posttest in order to identify the change caused by teaching practice. With respect to the qualitative part of the research, ten volunteered candidates have been interviewed through semi-structured interviews following the termination of teaching practice. Joint interpretation of both quantitative and qualitative findings of this research indicates that teaching practice has an influence over self-efficacy beliefs and teacher possible selves of teacher candidates. In this research, overall self-efficacy beliefs of teacher candidates have been identified to improve after teaching practice. With respect to the dimensions of self-efficacy beliefs, the findings of this research point that teaching practice hasn’t produced any positive effects over self-efficacy beliefs of teacher candidates regarding class management, but levels of self-efficacy beliefs concerning student engagement and teaching strategies have improved after teaching practice. On the other hand, united evaluation of both quantitative and qualitative findings of this study shows that not much has changed regarding expected teacher possible selves, but not feared teacher possible selves of teacher candidates.     

Antecedents of organizational citizenship behavior among blue- and white-collar workers in Turkey

This study investigated the relationship between employees’ beliefs about their social world (social axioms: reward for application, social cynicism, religiosity, social flexibility, and fate control), their relational identification with their supervisor, and their organizational citizenship behavior (OCB; i.e., interpersonal facilitation, job dedication and organizational support) within collectivistic Turkish society. We expected OCB to depend upon one's relational identification with the supervisor and also to depend on several social axioms, given their salience in collectivistic cultures. We also investigated these relationships across white- and blue-collar workers, as this has not been studied much. To this end, we conducted a survey among 376 Turkish blue-collar and 147 white-collar factory employees. A series of hierarchical regression analyses confirmed our expectations that for both blue- and white-collar workers the reward for application belief was positively related to job dedication and organizational support. Religiosity was positively related to job dedication and organizational support only among blue-collar employees. As hypothesized, relational identification with the supervisor related positively to all dimensions of OCB in blue-collar employees and to interpersonal facilitation and organizational support in white-collar employees. However, the relationship between relational identification with the supervisor and organizational support appeared stronger for blue-collar than for white-collar employees. Apparently, relational identification with the supervisor is an important antecedent of OCB, particularly for blue-collar employees. Theoretical and practical implications of the study findings are discussed.     

The implications of changing educational and family circumstances for children's grade progression in rural Pakistan: 1997–2004

We assess factors affecting primary and middle school dropout in rural Punjab and NorthWest Frontier Province over 6 years (1997–2004). These data are unique in a developing-country setting in longitudinally tracking changes in both school and household environments. While grade retention has improved, girls’ dropout rates remain fairly high. Results suggest the importance of both household and school factors. For girls, arrival in the family of an unwanted birth in the last 6 years and enrollment in a government (not private) primary school significantly increase the likelihood of dropout, whereas availability of post-primary schooling, having a mother who attended school, and living in a better-off household reduce the probability of dropout. For boys, school quality, measured by the percent of residential teachers in the primary school, and living in a more developed community significantly reduce the probability of dropping out; loss of household remittances significantly increases the likelihood of dropout.     

Broadening Horizons and Teaching Basic Biology Through Cell-Free Synthesis of Green Fluorescent Protein in a High School Laboratory Course

Cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) has emerged as a practical method for producing a broad variety of proteins. In addition, the direct accessibility to the reaction environment makes CFPS particularly suitable as a learning vehicle for fundamental biological concepts. Here, we describe its implementation as a teaching tool for a high school laboratory course. Ninety students in a biotechnology class used CFPS to study the effects of the concentrations of amino acids, cell extract, DNA, and the energy source on accumulation of active super-folder green fluorescent protein. Students estimated product concentrations simply by comparing solution colors to a printed green color gradient. This simple and inexpensive method allows for immediate measurements, and 26 of the 30 groups observed measurable product concentrations within 60 min. These student-generated data were then discussed to illustrate concepts of data analysis such as outliers and standard deviation. We also combined the laboratory experience with a visit to a university campus that included a laboratory tour and a college-style lecture. Our overall objective was to excite the students about the scientific enterprise and to instill a sense of personal relevance and attainability so that these students could realistically consider technical careers.