Teachers’ perceptions on technology-assisted mathematics teaching and the interactive activities

Education and Information Technologies - The methods and techniques used by teachers have an important place on the basis of many students’ negative perspectives and failures towards...     

Chebyshev polynomial solutions of systems of higher-order linear Fredholm-Volterra integro-differential equations

A Chebyshev collocation method, an expansion method, has been proposed in order to solve the systems of higher-order linear integro-differential equations. This method transforms the IDE system and the given conditions into the matrix equations via Chebyshev collocation points. By merging these results, a new system which corresponds to a system of linear algebraic equations is obtained. The solution of this system yields the Chebyshev coefficients of the solution function. Some numerical results are also given to illustrate the efficiency of the method. Moreover, this method is valid for the systems of differential and integral equations.     

Effectiveness of Using Computer-Assisted Supplementary Instruction for Teaching the Mole Concept

This study examined the effect of computer-assisted instruction (CAI), used as a problem-solving supplement to classroom instruction, on students' understanding of chemical formulas and mole concept, their attitudes toward chemistry subjects, and CAI. The objective was to assess the effectiveness of CAI over recitation hours when both teaching methods were used as a supplement to the traditional chemistry instruction. We randomly selected two classes in a secondary school. Each teaching strategy was randomly assigned to one class. The experimental group received supplementary instruction delivered via CAI, while the control group received similar instruction through recitation hours. The data were analyzed using two-way analysis of variance and t-test. It was found that the students who used the CAI accompanied with lectures scored significantly higher than those who attended recitation hours, in terms of school subject achievement in chemistry and attitudes toward chemistry subjects. In addition, there was a significant improvement in the attitudes of students in the experimental group toward the use of computers in a chemistry course. There was no significant difference between the performances of females versus males in each treatment group.     

Approximations to the solution of linear Fredholm integrodifferential-difference equation of high order

There are few techniques available to numerically solve linear Fredholm integrodifferential-difference equation of high-order. In this paper we show that the Taylor matrix method is a very effective tool in numerically solving such problems. This method transforms the equation and the given conditions into the matrix equations. By merging these results, a new matrix equation which corresponds to a system of linear algebraic equation is obtained. The solution of this system yields the Taylor coefficients of the solution function. Some numerical results are also given to illustrate the efficiency of the method. Moreover, this method is valid for the differential, difference, differential-difference and Fredholm integral equations. In some numerical examples, MAPLE modules are designed for the purpose of testing and using the method.     

Factors affecting Turkish students＇ achievement in mathematics

Following past researches, student background, learning strategies, self-related cognitions in mathematics and school climate variables were important for achievement. The purpose of this study was to identify a number of factors that represent the relationship among sets of interrelated variables using principal component factor analysis and examine the contribution of each factor to the explanation of the variance in the students＇ mathematics score using multiple regression analysis. The sample was prepared from students who participated in Programme for International Student Assessment （PISA） in Turkey. These data consisted of 3765 15 year-old Turkish students in 158 schools. The results showed that four factors under study totally accounted for approximately 34 percent of the variance in mathematics achievement. All of the factors had statistically significant effects on the achievement. The findings are very important for Turkish education system because the fact that changing school climate and improving the learning strategies are much easier to achieve than changing background factors affecting students＇ performance.     

Assessing institutionalization of educational reforms

This study aims to assess the institutionalization of a major reform in the faculties of education in Turkey in the 1990s. A survey was administered to faculty members in eight faculties of education in the academic year 2005–2006. Factor analysis, t-tests and ANOVAs, and OLS regressions were used. Findings indicate that the most problematic area of re-structuring was “program change” caused by coercive pressures. The study concludes that institutionalization of the re-structuring has not yet been fully achieved, and an alternative re-structuring process is proposed. All three types of pressures were related and they influence one another. Normative pressures were found to be more powerful in this type of re-structuring process.     

Looking at the Impact of the Flipped Classroom Model in Medical Education

The objective of this study was to examine the effects of the flipped classroom method on the academic achievement of medical students in the Good Medical Practice Program, collect data on the students’ opinions of this method, and offer solutions to some of the most commonly cited problems in the literature regarding its use. The research design of the study involves a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design with a control group, and the qualitative research method for answers to follow-up questions. Participants in the study were 38 first-year students from the Faculty of Medicine of Hacettepe University. An academic achievement test and a semi-structured interview form were used as data collection instruments. Findings of the study show that the students taught using the flipped classroom model have higher levels of achievement compared with the students taught using the traditional method. Interviews conducted with the experimental group showed that these students had positive views regarding the flipped classroom method, and it was concluded that solutions offered to deal with the problems, commonly viewed as the disadvantages of the method, were effective.     

Pedagogical approaches for e-assessment with authentication and authorship verification in Higher Education

Checking the identity of students and authorship of their online submissions is a major concern in Higher Education due to the increasing amount of plagiarism and cheating using the Internet. The literature on the effects of e-authentication systems for teaching staff is very limited because it is a novel procedure for them. A considerable gap is to understand teaching staff' views regarding the use of e-authentication instruments and how they impact trust in e-assessment. This mixed-method study examines the concerns and practices of 108 teaching staff who used the TeSLA—Adaptive Trust-based e-Assessment System in six countries: the UK, Spain, the Netherlands, Bulgaria, Finland and Turkey. The findings revealed some technological, organisational and pedagogical issues related to accessibility, security, privacy and e-assessment design and feedback. Recommendations are to provide a FAQ and an audit report with results, to raise awareness about data security and privacy, to develop policies and guidelines about fraud detection and prevention, e-assessment best practices and course team support.