Teachers' Perceptions of the Educational Platform-Is There a Connection between School Improvement and Regional Educational Development?

This research examined teachers’ attitudes in a school development project, The best regional educational system in the world which focuses on regional development and school improvement. The project was performed in counties in Mid Sweden, which have a lower educational level and school achievements and a competence escape compare with other parts of Sweden. Project schools were compared to references schools concerning staffs perception of the pedagogical platform. This study is based on a web-based survey. The quantitative results show that two of the factors in the survey distinguished themselves with statistical significance; namely, the pedagogical platform was 0.44 (p=0.036) and leadership factor, which was 0.25 (p=0.052) was lower for the project schools. The directed content analysis showed differences regarding awareness of the pedagogical platform concerning understanding vs. ambiguity and specifically targeting vs. general descriptions. The reference schools described an understanding of the school’s overall educational platform and described more clearly the school’s focus. The study points to the importance of teachers are aware of their own school platform to develop leadership and teams, which in turn influences student learning and achievement. If schools in the two counties are to be successful, in terms of students’ school performance and the competitiveness of the region, the pedagogical platform should be made clear to staff and be anchored in the teachers’ team work, probably even more than in other schools.

Evaluation of Professional Personality Competence of Physical Education Teachers Working in Secondary Schools by Students

The aim of this article is to assess how students evaluate the professional personality competence of physical education teachers working in secondary schools, and to investigate differences based on the variables of gender, school type and class. In line with these aims, this study was completed as a screening model cross-sectional study, which was carried out in a total of 19 schools (16 state and 3 private) connected to the Ministry of National Education in Canakkale, Turkey, in which 1421 secondary school students were enrolled during the 2013–2014 academic year. Of the research group 51.2% of the students were female and 48.8% were male. The data collection instrument was the PET PPCS-Student (Physical Education Teacher Professional Personality Competence Scale-Student), with which participants rate the professional personality competences of PETs (Physical Education Teachers). The T-test, ANOVA and Mann Whitney U-test were performed, and the results are presented here as descriptive statistics of frequency and percentage distributions. The lowest average score was for the “respect for human dignity and justice” subcomponent, being evaluated as “partly adequate.” A significant difference was found between students of different school types and class backgrounds in their evaluations of PETs’ professional personality competence.

Analysis of Reading Comprehension Levels of Fifth Grade Students Who Learned to Read and Write with the Sentence Method

The purpose of this study is the determination of reading comprehension levels of fifth grade’s students who learned to read and write with the sentence method. With the program of 2005, it has been amended in the first reading and writing method. In the teaching of first reading and writing, it was passed to the sentence method instead of sound based sentence method. Fifth grade students in this study can be considered as the last group of students who learned first reading and writing with the sentence method. This research carried out by the group who is a total of 1000 students who studying in the primary schools in Uskudar, Kadikoy, Atasehir, Umraniye, Bahcelievler, Bayrampasa in Istanbul. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used in this study. The application of research has been done in the 2008-2009 academic year. Achievement Test which developed by researchers were applied to fifth grade students in the elementary school. The test consist of a total of 15 questions.10 of the questions are multiple-choice questions (closed-end) and 5 of the questions are open-ended questions. The open-ended questions were applied to 50 students who randomly selected students from thousand students. The percent of correct answer to 10 multiple-choice questions of students is 77,12 %. The percent of wrong answer is 22,09 %. The percent of blank answer is 0,79 %. The percent of correct answer to 5 open-ended questions of students is 34 %. The percent of wrong answer is 32,4 %. The percent of blank answer is 34,4 %. In terms of students' reading comprehension skills, it is seen to be more successful multiple-choice questions than open-ended questions.

Turkish High School Teachers’ Conceptions of Creativity in Mathematics

The aim of this research is to explore Turkish high school teachers’ conceptions of creativity in mathematics. The research was carried out using qualitative research methods. The sample consisted of seven mathematics teachers, and semi-structured interviews were used as a data collection tool. Analysis of the responses indicated that mathematics teachers’ conceptions of creativity were limited to developing a different perspective and finding a solution using this different perspective. Creative mathematics teachers were described as having some professional abilities rather than personality traits by the teachers. Standardized tests, curriculum limitations, and the education system were given as some of the barriers to fostering creativity. The study shows that Turkish high school mathematics teachers’ conceptions of creativity were narrow and the factors inhibiting creativity were attributed to characteristics of the education system rather than those of the teachers themselves.

Is Teacher Professional Development an Effective Way to Mitigate Teachers’ Gender Differences in Technology? Result from a Statewide Teacher Professional Development Program

Voices from the Classroom: Experiences of Teachers of Deaf Students with Additional Disabilities

The purpose of this research is to investigate experiences of K-12 classroom teachers of deaf students with additional disabilities. Today, more deaf and hard of hearing students are identified as having additional disabilities (Bruce, DiNatale u0026 Ford, 2008; Ewing, 2011; Gallaudet Research Institute, 2011; Jones, Jones u0026 Ewing, 2006; Mitchell u0026 Karchmer, 2004); there is a need to explore ways of providing educational services to these students. Utilizing a phenomenological design, data were collected using survey questionnaires, focus groups and individual interviews. Several themes emerged, such as the typical school day, previous training, and continuous professional development. Understanding the experiences of the K- 12 teachers can provide valuable information for deaf education teacher preparation programs.

Culturally Responsive Teaching: Examining Teachers’ Understandings and Perspectives

This action research study examines a graduate level course on Ethnicity and Education. Eighteen teacher participants enrolled in a Master of Education program. Course instructors analyzed teacher participants’ perceptions of culturally responsive teaching. A teaching plan, a post-course questionnaire, a focus group interview, and a follow up questionnaire were collected after the course. Analysis of the data generated three themes: 1) Doing culturally responsive activities; 2) Moving towards culturally responsive teaching as a perspective; and 3) Being a culturally responsive teacher . This article suggests ways teacher educators might re-conceptualize culture-based courses to deepen teacher perspectives rather than merely enhance teaching activities which support culturally responsive teaching and learning.

Physics Education: Effect of Micro-teaching Method Supported by Educational Technologies on Pre-service Science Teachers’ Misconceptions on Basic Astronomy Subjects

The purpose of this research study is to explore pre-service science teachers’ misconceptions on basic astronomy subjects and to examine the effect of micro teaching method supported by educational technologies on correcting misconceptions. This study is an action research. Semi- structured interviews were used in the study as a data collection tool to identify pre-service teachers’ misconceptions on basic astronomy subjects. The data gathered from the interviews were interpreted via descriptive analysis. The research was carried out with 20 pre-service teachers studying in the 4 th grade in Faculty of Education, Department of Primary School Science Teaching at a university located in Eastern Black Sea Region, Turkey. 20 pre-service science teachers who participated in the study developed materials about basic astronomy subjects and they used micro-teaching method supported with appropriate educational technologies for 12 weeks. All the implementations were carried out under the supervision of the researcher and after the implementations, the researcher and the pre-service teachers watched the video recordings together and necessary feedback was given. At the beginning of the research, pre-service teachers who made up the sample of the study had various misconceptions about basic astronomy subjects; however, it was found that these misconceptions which were detected were corrected with micro-teaching method at the end of the research study. The study was completed with recommendations regarding using educational technologies and micro teaching method and correction of misconceptions.

An Investigation into the Number Sense Performance of Secondary School Students in Turkey

The purpose of this study is to investigate the number sense performance of secondary school students according to grade level, gender and the components of number sense. A descriptive survey design was used to collect data. A total of 576 secondary school students (291 girls and 285 boys) participated in the study. The results revealed that the number sense performance of secondary school students was very low for each grade level. Among the components of number sense, the lowest mean score was observed in multiple representations. Moreover, the number sense performance scores of the students differed significantly in terms of their grade level, though no significant difference was found according to gender. The investigation concluded that the number sense performance of secondary school students is not satisfactory and needs to be improved.

Attention to Retention: Exploring and Addressing the Needs of College Students in STEM Majors

Guided by well-established theories on student retention, a survey was developed and implemented to collect data about the college experience of STEM students at a four-year research university. Analysis of the survey data confirms ten constructs that captured different aspects of students’ academic and social experiences. Among them, academic quality provided by the institution, students’ formal academic integration, and motivation for active learning are identified to be the most influential factors to their retention. Different from students in non-STEM majors, financial pressure to fund college education and accessibility to faculty members outside the classroom are not significantly associated with STEM students’ intention to depart. The findings also challenge the sociological emphasis on social engagement as the pivotal point for student retention in STEM majors. To improve student persistence in STEM majors, it is suggested the institutional administrators invest in improving faculty members’ teaching skills, reducing class sizes, and engaging students in active learning and research projects.