ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
First-Hand Experience with Engineering Design and Career Interest in Engineering: An Informal STEM Education Case Study
Author: Ayar, Mehmet C.
Date: 2015-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Engineering Education,Design,Vocational Interests,Case Studies,Personal Narratives,Robotics,Summer Science Programs,Metropolitan Areas,Data Collection,Interviews,Field Studies,Observation,Teaching Methods,Conventional Instruction,Science Education,Hands on Science,Experiential Learning,Science Interests,Career Choice,Informal Education,Learner Engagement,Science Activities,High School Students,Qualitative Research,Questionnaires,Essays,Data Analysis,STEM Education

The purpose of this study is to present students' experiences, interest in engineering, and personal narratives while participating in a robotics summer camp in a metropolitan city in Turkey. In this study, I used qualitative data collection methods such as interviews, field notes, and observations. I used the four principles of Engle and Conant as a framework for analyzing their interactions and tasks as well as to make sense of their mutual interactions, tasks, and social structure in the robotics summer camp. The study findings indicated that the robotics summer camp was different from regular science classrooms in terms of goals, practical work, and social structure. The robotics summer camp provided students with the opportunity to engage in robotics activities and have personal interactions with engineering researchers about engineering and their future career plans. The robot design experience and close relationships with engineering professionals at the camp were sources that nurtured and maintained student interest in engineering. I concluded that the robotics summer camp was a venue for students to gain first-hand experiences, develop and sustain interest in engineering, and comprehend the nature of engineering in general. This in turn helped students to determine their career choice and sustain a lifelong interest in engineering.
Citizenship and Citizenship Education According to the Perspective of Non-Muslim Minorities in Turkey
Author: Ibrahimoglu, Zafer
Date: 2015-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Citizenship Education,Minority Groups,Foreign Countries,Semi Structured Interviews,Qualitative Research,Content Analysis,Christianity,Jews,Educational Policy,Social Attitudes,Statistical Analysis,War,Conflict,Immigrants,National Security

The purpose of this research is to put forth the opinions and expectations of non-Muslim minorities concerning citizenship and citizenship education in Turkey. The research included three minority groups that have been officially recognized in Turkey: Orthodox Greeks, Armenians, and Jews. The qualitative method was adopted and the snowball sampling technique was used to select the participants. Semi-structured interviews were used as a data collection tool, and discussions based on the research questions were held during face-to-face interviews with the participants. The data accumulated during the semi-structured interviews was transcribed. After all the interviews had been written down, the texts were checked more than once and a holistic view was targeted concerning the issue. In the study, the content analysis method was used as a data analysis tool while notes from the interviews were analyzed categorically together with the questions that the participants had been asked. Considering the data gathered in this study, although the non-Muslim minorities had a certain number of suggestions and criticisms regarding citizenship and citizenship education policies that have been implemented in Turkey, these policies can be said to have generally reached a more positive point compared to the situation in the past.
Examining Students' Mathematical Understanding of Geometric Transformations Using the Pirie-Kieren Model
Author: Gülkilika, Hilal
Date: 2015-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Mathematics Instruction,Geometric Concepts,Concept Formation,Grade 10,Secondary School Mathematics,Observation,Semi Structured Interviews,Knowledge Level,Theories,Models,Qualitative Research,Case Studies,High School Students,Foreign Countries,Video Technology,Comparative Analysis,Pretesting

Students should learn mathematics with understanding. This is one of the ideas in the literature on mathematics education that everyone supports, from educational politicians to curriculum developers, from researchers to teachers, and from parents to students. In order to decide whether or not students understand mathematics we should first identify how mathematical understanding occurs. The purpose of this research is to analyze 10th-grade students' mathematical understanding of geometric transformations as developed in an environment enriched with multiple representations. Four 10th-grade students were observed during their lessons on translation, rotation, reflection, and dilation; semi-structured task-based interviews were then conducted with them after the lessons. The findings of this study reveal that although students' levels of mathematical understanding developed from informal to formal, this development was not unidirectional and students showed a tendency to use informal understandings. Students' primitive knowledge of geometric transformations was at the core of their understanding, whereas activities in the understanding levels of Image Making and Property Noticing directly affected the growth of their mathematical understanding. The folding back movements, activities in the forms of acting and expressing within the different levels of understanding, and multiple representations of concepts in the learning environment guided their process of mathematical understanding.
Comparison of the Self-Concepts, Social Skills, Problem Behaviors, and Loneliness Levels of Students with Special Needs in Inclusive Classrooms
Author: Kucukera, Sevgi
Date: 2015-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Inclusion,Disabilities,Psychological Patterns,Interpersonal Competence,Self Concept,Behavior Problems,Elementary School Students,Grade 4,Grade 5,Foreign Countries,Test Validity,Test Reliability,Comparative Analysis,Predictor Variables,Surveys,Multiple Regression Analysis,Scores,Statistical Analysis

This study examines whether the self-concepts, social skills, problem behaviors, and loneliness levels of students with special educational needs (SEN) in inclusive elementary classrooms differ from those of students without special educational needs (non-SEN). This study also aimed to identify the roles of self-concept, social skills, and problem behaviors in predicting the loneliness levels of SEN students. The study group comprised 272 students (4th and 5th graders) attending inclusive elementary classrooms. A total of 140 were SEN and 132 were non-SEN students. The Social Skills and the Problem Behaviors Scales of the Social Skills Rating System-Teacher Form (SSRS-TF), the Children's Loneliness Scale (CLS), and the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale (PHCSCS) were used as data collection tools. The findings showed that the self-concepts, social skills, problem behaviors, and loneliness levels of the SEN students were significantly different than those of the non-SEN students. It was also found that self-concept and social skills were significant predictors of the loneliness levels of SEN students. The findings were discussed regarding the related literature and the inclusive practices in Turkey.
Effect of Creative Drama on Academic Achievement: A Meta-Analytic and Thematic Analysis
Author: Batdi, Veli
Date: 2015-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Creativity,Drama,Effect Size,Meta Analysis,Academic Achievement,Statistical Analysis,Qualitative Research,Computer Software,Teaching Methods,Outcomes of Education,Correlation,Critical Thinking,Instructional Program Divisions,Content Analysis,Literature Reviews

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of creative drama on achievement through the use of quantitative and qualitative research methods. In the quantitative section of the research, the meta-analytic method was used and an attempt was made to include all studies of creative drama carried out between 2000 and 2014 at the national and international levels. As a result, 40 studies (8 articles, 28 MAs, and 4 PhD theses) complied with the inclusion criteria, which consisted of examining the effect of creative drama on academic achievement and including statistical values to calculate the effect size. Studies were further separated according to the characteristics of grade level, subject field, and implementation period. The Comprehensive Meta-Analysis statistical program and the MetaWin program were used to calculate effect size. In the qualitative context of the study, data collected through documentary review based on the content analysis of the thematic examination of the articles and theses were analyzed through the Maxqda 11 program. Meta-analytic findings indicated that creative drama had a significant and positive effect on academic achievement and the qualitative findings indicated that it had influential outcomes on a variety of domains in general.
The Conflict of Commodification of Traditional Higher Education Institutions
Author: Plante, Jarrad
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Conflict,Commercialization,Higher Education,Strategic Planning,Decision Making,Organizational Effectiveness,Learning Theories,Psychological Studies,Leaders,Problem Solving

Moving into the 21st century, the landscape of the traditional higher education institution has changed, including its model of conducting business. Students in the millennial generation see higher education as a commodity, where learning can be acquired through different delivery systems. It is imperative that organizational leaders, like those in colleges and universities, improve, effectively responding to changing environments at their institutions. Double-loop learning (Rahim, 2011; Senge, 2013) is a formative method of organizational effectiveness that allows top managers to focus on the underpinning of conflicts like commodification of higher education and use strategic decision-making processes to recognize and accept the commodification trends and determine a course of action to improve their campus for the long-term. Force field analysis (Lewin, 1943) determined the driving and restraining forces of whether or not top leaders at colleges and universities throughout traditional higher education should view their institutions as commodities and concluded that the driving forces were more than the restraining forces, and change process was needed to re-establish equilibrium.
Rural Community College Student Perceptions of Barriers to College Enrollment
Author: Scott, Shanda
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Community Colleges,College Students,Barriers,Enrollment Influences,Student Attitudes,Student Surveys,Case Studies,Age Differences,First Generation College Students,Predictor Variables,Access to Education,Rural Areas

Rural community college students face unique difficulties in higher education for many reasons, including the resources they typically have access to, their collective histories, and in many cases, the preparation they received in high school. These challenges might be low-performing secondary schools, a lack of tradition and precedence in attending college, and even limited technology connectivity. These difficulties can be seen as barriers to college attendance, and it is important to understand how rural community college students see these barriers, and even more important to understand how they can be overcome. The current study sought to take the first step in understanding what inhibits college student enrollment by exploring self-reported barriers to community college matriculation. Using two case study institutions and a modified survey instrument, results largely supported existing research in that preparation for postsecondary education and finances were critical in deciding whether or not to enroll in the community college. Additionally, parental enrollment in higher education was perceived to play a role in attending college, validating the growing literature base on college attendance, in general, and rural students in particular. Somewhat contradictory to the literature of rural education, however, was the finding that technology connectivity was not seen as a barrier to education.
A Diverse Clinical-Based Practice in Teacher Education
Author: Gottschalk, Shelby
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Self Esteem,Preservice Teachers,Student Diversity,Pretests Posttests,Likert Scales,Questionnaires,Scores,Simulated Environment,Technology Uses in Education,Teaching Methods,Educational Technology,Teacher Education Programs,Program Effectiveness,Cultural Awareness,Elementary School Students,English Language Learners,Poverty,Foreign Countries

The purpose of the study was to determine if offering a virtual clinical-based practice would affect teacher candidates' level of confidence in teaching diverse students. During 2012-2014, data were collected using a pre- and post-Likert scale questionnaire. A paired two sample t-test was utilized to determine if there was a significant difference in mean scores from the pre- to the post-questionnaire. Increases were found in all questionnaire items with five of the items showing a significant increase at the a = 0.01 level. The results suggest that a virtual clinical-based practice may provide an authentic experience for teacher candidates, may lead teacher candidates to become more aware and take a positive approach to students' differences, and that the teacher candidates' comfort level with unfamiliar situations posed by students from diverse backgrounds may increase. A future implication is that colleges of education may want to consider adding a virtual clinical-based practice to existing diversity education classes. However, more research needs to be conducted to determine if virtual clinical-based practices are equal to or better than on-site clinical-based practices in an attempt to increase teacher candidates' levels of confidence in teaching diverse students.
Principals' and Teachers' Perceptions of Efforts by Principals to Improve Teaching and Learning in Turkish Middle Schools
Author: Bellibas, Mehmet Sükrü
Date: 2015-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Principals,Teacher Attitudes,Administrator Attitudes,Middle Schools,Middle School Teachers,Foreign Countries,Instructional Leadership,Assistant Principals,School Counselors,Interviews,Documentation,Attitude Measures,Qualitative Research,Role,Coding,Barriers,Knowledge Level,Privacy

Contemporary research on instructional leadership has largely concerned itself with developing concrete instructional leadership models and investigating the association of such leadership practices with teaching and learning. Yet there is little research on how the internal school community reacts to the notion of principals influencing classroom instruction. The purpose of the current research is to provide a comprehensive understanding of how instructional leadership is perceived in Turkish middle schools. The study draws upon data collected from a total of 36 personnel, including principals, assistant principals, teachers, and counselors in six middle schools in the province of Istanbul, Turkey. Interviews and documents were utilized to collect the data. The results show that participants' perception of instructional leadership is mostly influenced by the notion of leaders' indirect influence on teaching, and principals' direct involvement in instructional issues is constrained by problems associated with leadership content knowledge, coherence of leadership practices, and teachers' classroom privacy.
An Intelligent Approach to Educational Data: Performance Comparison of the Multilayer Perceptron and the Radial Basis Function Artificial Neural Networks
Author: Kayri, Murat
Date: 2015-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Artificial Intelligence,Influences,Academic Achievement,College Students,Comparative Analysis,Predictive Measurement,Methods,Predictor Variables

The objective of this study is twofold: (1) to investigate the factors that affect the success of university students by employing two artificial neural network methods (i.e., multilayer perceptron [MLP] and radial basis function [RBF]); and (2) to compare the effects of these methods on educational data in terms of predictive ability. The participants' transcript scores were used as the target variables and the two methods were employed to test the predictors that affected these variables. The results show that the multilayer perceptron artificial neural network outperformed the radial basis artificial neural network in terms of predictive ability. Although the findings suggest that research in quantitative educational science should be conducted by using the former artificial neural network method, additional supporting evidence needs to be collected in related studies.
Emotional Expression and Spousal Support as Predictors of Marital Satisfaction: The Case of Turkey
Author: Yedirir, Sabiha
Date: 2015-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Emotional Response,Self Expression,Spouses,Marital Satisfaction,Predictor Variables,Likert Scales,Data Analysis,Correlation,Multiple Regression Analysis,Interpersonal Relationship,Social Support Groups

This study examines the relationship between spousal support and the ability to express feelings of marital satisfaction, and the extent to which spousal support and the ability to express feelings can predict marital satisfaction. Research was conducted in accordance with general survey models. The study group comprised 195 married couples (N = 390) residing in one of the biggest cities in central Anatolia. The Marital Life Scale, Spousal Support Scale, and Emotional Expression Scale were applied to the married couples and a Personal Information Form was provided. The data analysis used the Pearson moment correlation coefficient, multiple regression analysis, and the Kendall correlation coefficient. The results indicated that there was a relationship between all the sub-dimensions of spousal support and marital satisfaction; moreover, spousal support was found to be a significant predictor of marital satisfaction. While a significant correlation was found between marital satisfaction and the expression of proximity emotion, one of the sub-dimensions of the Emotional Expression Scale, no significant correlation was found between the expression of negative and positive emotions. In addition, according to the results of the multiple regression analysis, the expression of feelings did not predict marital satisfaction.
Effect of Differential Item Functioning on Test Equating
Author: Kabasakal, Kübra Atalay
Date: 2015-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Test Bias,Equated Scores,Item Response Theory,Simulation,Sample Size,Test Length,Test Format,Comparative Analysis,Hierarchical Linear Modeling

This study examines the effect of differential item functioning (DIF) items on test equating through multilevel item response models (MIRMs) and traditional IRMs. The performances of three different equating models were investigated under 24 different simulation conditions, and the variables whose effects were examined included sample size, test length, DIF magnitude, and the test type. The MIRMs, in which the DIF factors were added as parameters, were compared with the Stocking-Lord (SL) method (one of the IRM-based calibration methods) and concurrent calibration method. According to the results, differences were found in the performances of the methods under the analyzed conditions. More specifically, the MIRMs were able to identify the DIF items, carry out the equating processes, and eliminate the biases caused by DIF in only one analysis. However, this does not indicate that using MIRMs is the best approach since the increase in sample size and test length generally had a positive effect on IRM-based equating, whereas MIRMs were less affected by these two conditions. Considering the IRM-based methods, it was found that separate calibration methods were more affected by the presence of DIF items compared to concurrent calibration. Moreover, this effect becomes most significant when DIF items are in common test and the magnitude of DIF is C.
An Evaluation on Mainstreaming Practices of Primary Schools According to the Views of School Administrators, Teachers, and Parents
Author: Dagli, Gökmen
Date: 2015-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Mainstreaming,Elementary Schools,Administrator Attitudes,Teacher Attitudes,Parent Attitudes,Qualitative Research,Semi Structured Interviews,Content Analysis,Special Education,Mild Intellectual Disability,Autism,Pervasive Developmental Disorders,Hearing Impairments,Learning Disabilities,Physical Disabilities,Regular and Special Education Relationship

Individuals are born with various skills and needs. They enter into a life-long process of meeting these needs and developing the correct usage and appropriateness of these skills. The process of making intentional changes in one's life through behavior is called education. No one can be deprived of their right to education. Education is every individual's constitutional right and it is compulsory. This is stated in the 59th amendment of the Northern Cyprus Constitution as follows: &quot;Every child regardless of gender must receive education until the age of fifteen and they have the right to free education until the age of eighteen.&quot; This study investigates through comparison the views of administrators, teachers, and parents on the application of mainstreaming in primary schools. This research uses the qualitative research method. In order to consult the opinions of the participants on mainstreaming applications, a semi-structured interview form was prepared. The data collected from the research was analyzed using the content analysis method. The data from the content analysis was analyzed in four stages. These stages are coding the data, finding the themes, arranging the data according to the codes and themes, and interpreting the data. For the study group, 10 administrators, 14 teachers, and 12 parents were included in the research. This study found that the requirements for mainstreaming are not sufficient nor is there enough information, that normal class teachers are insufficient in their knowledge, that families cannot accept their child's situation, that there is little participation in class, that classes are disorderly, and that there is also a problem with &quot;normal&quot; children in their approach to children with special needs. As a result of the study, the majority of participants agreed that special education teachers should either work on their own or in collaboration with class teachers during the preparation stage of mainstreaming. Almost a quarter of the participants stated that preparations for mainstreaming are done by the class teacher. More than 75% of the participants stated that support services are provided for mainstreaming applications, while less than 75% of them said partial support is provided.