An international comparison using a diagnostic testing model: Turkish students’ profile of mathematical skills on TIMSS-R

This study illustrates how a diagnostic testing model can be used to make detailed comparisons between student populations participating in international assessments. The performance of Turkish students on the TIMSS-R mathematics test was reanalyzed with a diagnostic testing model called the Rule Space Model. First, mathematical and cognitive skills (‘attributes’) measured by the test were determined. One hundred sixty-two items were coded in terms of their attribute involvement, creating an incidence matrix—the Q-matrix. Using the Q-matrix and the student response data, each student’s attribute mastery profile was determined. Mean attribute mastery levels of Turkish students were computed and compared to those of their American peers. It was shown that Turkish students were weak in algebra and probability/statistics. They also demonstrated poor profiles in skills such as applying rules in algebra, approximation/estimation, solving open-ended problems, recognizing patterns and relationships, and quantitative reading.

Team learning in IT implementation projects: Antecedents and consequences

This study investigates the antecedents and consequences of team learning, which is composed of information acquisition, dissemination, and implementation, in information technology (IT) implementation projects. By investigating 129 IT implementation project teams, we found that (1) information acquisition and information dissemination have a positive impact on project outcomes, such as speed-to-users, lower implementation cost, and operational effectiveness, and (2) team behavior and enabler variables, such as teamwork, team communication, interpersonal trust between team members, team commitment, and senior manager support, positively influence team learning. We also found that team anxiety moderates the relationship between team learning and project outcomes.     

Environmental attitudes of young people in Turkey: effects of school type and gender

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of school type (private and public) and gender on sixth, seventh, eighth and tenth grade students’ attitudes toward the environment. A total of 1497 students (n?=?765 girls; n?=?715 boys; and n?=?17 gender not provided) attending public (n?=?603) and private schools (n?=?892) located in Ankara participated in the study. A 45‐item Likert‐type questionnaire consisting of four dimensions, namely, awareness of environmental problems, national environmental problems, solutions to the problems and awareness of individual responsibility, was used to measure students’ environmental attitudes. A two‐way multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was conducted to determine the effect of school type and gender on four dimensions of the environmental attitude questionnaire. Results showed that school type and gender had a significant effect on the collective dependent variables. Univariate ANOVAs indicated that mean scores on each dimension of the questionnaire were significantly different for students in public and private schools. Moreover, there was statistically significant mean difference between boys and girls with respect to scores on each dimension of the questionnaire. It is concluded as a result of the study that, although there are differences between categories of individuals, there is a widespread support for conservation of the environment among young people living in Ankara/Turkey.     

The pedagogy of argumentation in science education: science teachers’ instructional practices

ABSTRACT

Argumentation has been a prominent concern in science education research and a common goal in science curriculum in many countries over the past decade. With reference to this goal, policy documents burden responsibilities on science teachers, such as involving students in dialogues and being guides in students’ spoken or written argumentation. Consequently, teachers’ pedagogical practices regarding argumentation gain importance due to their impact on how they incorporate this practice into their classrooms. In this study, therefore, we investigated the instructional strategies adopted by science teachers for their argumentation-based science teaching. Participants were one elementary science teacher, two chemistry teachers, and four graduate students, who have a background in science education. The study took place during a graduate course, which was aimed at developing science teachers’ theory and pedagogy of argumentation. Data sources included the participants’ video-recorded classroom practices, audio-recorded reflections, post-interviews, and participants’ written materials. The findings revealed three typologies of instructional strategies towards argumentation. They are named as Basic Instructional Strategies for Argumentation, Meta-level Instructional ?St??rategies for ?Argumentation, and Meta-strategic Instructional ?St??rategies for ?Argumentation. In conclusion, the study provided a detailed coding framework for the exploration of science teachers’ instructional practices while they are implementing argumentation-based lessons.     

Students and school characteristics related to elementary school students' views of the nature of science

The purpose of this study is to investigate student- and school-level factors that help to explain the difference in the nature of science (NOS) views. Overall, the design of this study is correlational. The sample consisted of 3062 students enrolled in the sixth, seventh, and eighth grades of elementary schools in Turkey. A hierarchical linear modelling was selected as a modelling technique. This study has established the importance of the student's socioeconomic background, learning approaches undertaken, self-efficacy, and motivational goals in the formation of their NOS views. The findings reveal that quality of both the physical infrastructure of schools and the educational resources in schools, parent educational levels, student achievement, self-efficacy, experience of meaningful learning, and learning goal orientation are positively related to different dimensions of student NOS views. Additionally, performance goal orientation and rote learning approaches have a negative relationship with different dimensions of student NOS views.     

Cognitive and parenting pathways in the transmission of antisocial behavior from parents to adolescents

This study examined the role of adolescent perceptions of parental behavior and disrupted parenting in the continuity of antisocial behavior across generations. Participants included 430 adolescents and their biological parents assessed during the period from the 9th to 12th grades (9th grade age in years: M=15.09, SD=0.43). Structural equation modeling provided support for the mediating role of adolescent perceptions and disrupted parenting in the familial transmission of antisocial behavior. Furthermore, the results were consistent across parent and adolescent gender. The findings extend previous research by suggesting a significant role for adolescent perceptions of parents' activities in the development and growth of antisocial behavior. Results also support significant stability in antisocial tendencies over the course of adolescence.     

The historical development of counseling in Turkey

This article presents an overview of the historicaldevelopment and the current status of counseling inTurkey. While reviewing the historical background ofcounseling in this country, the crucial steps takenduring each of five periods are documented and pointedout. Finally, some anticipated future developmentsand recommendations to improve the present situationin this field are discussed.     

Tumor marker requests in a general teaching Turkish hospital

Serum tumor markers may be requested inappropriately by clinicians. In this retrospective study, we aimed to investigate the appropriateness of TM requests in our hospital. Patients in the study were identified from the TM requests for 3 months between June–August 2004, using the laboratory database. A total of 2249 patients (1351 men, 898 women) were included in the study and there were 6570 TM requests. The number of requests were 1050 (16%) for Carbohydrate Antigen 19-9, 993 (15.1%) for Cancer Antigen 125, 941 (14.3%) for Prostate Specific Antigen, 921 (14%) for free PSA, 925 (14.1%) for Cancer Antigen 15-3, 788 (12%) for Alphafetoprotein, 730 (11.1%) for Carcinoembryonic Antigen and 222 (3.4%) for AFP/Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin. Our findings support the idea that for the evidence-based use of TM requests the education of clinical staff is required. Clear clinical guidelines including recommendations about the appropriate use of TM can be useful for this education process. Careful audit studies are also useful to determine the impact of these guidelines on the practice of evidence-based laboratory medicine.