Browsing by Subject "Perceptions"

Now showing 1 - 7 of 7

Open Access
6th grade students' perceptions of blogs in an English class
(2012) Kattsir, Elan
This study uses mixed-methods research to investigate how a grade 6 English class in Turkey responds to the use of blogs. It explored students' perceptions of and attitudes towards using a class, community, and student blogs, both overall as well as in relation to their application to learning, writing, and the social aspects of a utilizing blogging. Additionally, key features of blogs and the teacher’s insights into the challenges and strengths of blogging as a teaching strategy were examined. The participants were 38 grade six Turkish-national students at a private, Englishlanguage-medium school in Ankara, Turkey, who utilized blogging as part of their learning activities during a 10-week period in 2011. Prior to, during, and after the blogging activity, surveys, semi-structured focus groups and semi-structured interviews were conducted. Analysis of the data revealed that students had very favorable attitudes towards and perceptions of blogging as an educational practice. Students were nearly unanimous in their general favorability towards blogs, though community blogs were less favored.
Open Access
Building a career in English: users of English as an additional language in academia in the Arabian Gulf
(Wiley-Blackwell Publishing, Inc., 2014) Buckingham, L.
This study investigates how a group of 30 multilingual academics, all users of English as an additional language (EAL) working at a private university in Oman, acquired discourse community membership in their disciplines through publishing in English, and the strategies they use to sustain the level of literacy needed to disseminate their research in refereed journals while working on the periphery. The participants, from the natural sciences, information technology, and economics, originate from countries in the surrounding region and, although many did not study in one of the traditional Anglophone countries, their academic literacy skills in English have been the cornerstones of their peripatetic academic careers. Participants describe their experience publishing from the periphery and perceptions of reviewer bias, and identify strategies used to overcome material shortcomings and linguistic challenges. The practice of language reuse to support the drafting of particular sections of an article is a recurring theme in many interviews. The article discusses the importance of conventional language in the sciences and the differing understandings of plagiarism among academics from the humanities and sciences. An implication from this study is the need for greater institutional support for the writing process in environments where most faculty members are EAL users.
Open Access
A case study on instructors' perceptions of writing exam grading criteria
(Hacettepe University, 2013) Tarkan Yeloğlu, Yeşim; Seferoğlu, G.; Yeloğlu, H. O.
This study was conducted to analyze the instructors' perceptions of the writing exam grading criteria used in the Faculty Academic English within the context of Freshman English courses at a private university in Turkey. Fifty-five instructors were involved in the study. The data were collected via quantitative and qualitative data collection instruments. Close-response items provided quantitative data and the qualitative data were derived from open-response items. The results indicate that the instructors believe the criteria help to establish standard grading across the program. However, they still have some doubts about the way the criteria are applied across the program while assessing students' writing. It is noteworthy that the instructors in this study had different perspectives and approaches while using the criteria in their own settings. Therefore, the results of this study highlight a crucial need for training the raters on how to apply any grading criteria to ensure objectivity in student assessment.
Open Access
Portfolio implementation at Turkish university preparatory schools, and teachers' perceptions of portfolios and problems experienced with portfolio use
(2009) Kılıç, Emine
This study seeks to investigate portfolio implementation at Turkish university preparatory schools and the reported aims of portfolio use as targeted by these schools. The study further examines teachers‟ perceptions of portfolio use, specifically, the problems they experience with portfolio use, possible sources of these problems and their suggestions on how portfolio use can be improved. The study was conducted in two phases. In the first phase, data on portfolio use and aims of its use were collected through a questionnaire administered at seven university preparatory schools. In the second phase, data on teachers‟ perceptions were gathered through a second questionnaire administered to 126 teachers at five of the seven preparatory schools. The results reached in the first phase of the study revealed that portfolios are mainly used for the writing component of the preparatory programs. The analyses of the data also revealed that certain key features of portfolios, such as student participation in the selection of portfolio content, self assessment, and student reflection, are not generally included in portfolios at preparatory programs. Regarding the aims of portfolio use targeted by schools, the results indicate that in order to achieve the intended aims, the missing key elements of portfolios should be included. The results reached in the second phase of the study indicate that teachers perceive portfolios as an appropriate tool for assessment purposes. When the results regarding teachers‟ experiences with portfolio use are examined, the outcomes indicate that the problems experienced with portfolio use are in large part felt to be related to students‟ attitudes towards portfolios, which are themselves caused by students‟ study habits and previous educational backgrounds. It was also revealed that problems related to portfolio entries and institutional practices create some challenges in portfolio implementation at schools.
Open Access
Space, agency and withdrawal: birth control choices of women in Turkey
(Taylor & Francis, 2012) Sirkeci, I.; Cindoglu, D.
Withdrawal (WD) is not a reliable method for preventing unwanted pregnancies, yet it is still a very popular form of birth control in many societies, including Turkey. We look at the relationship between women's agency and physical space in relation to birth control choices of women in Turkey. Agency in our context refers to a woman's ability to resist domination and subordination to the patriarchal beliefs valuing her reproductivity over her pleasure. Our analysis of the Turkish Demographic Health Survey (TDHS) suggests that (a) the available space in the household for possible private encounters between husband and wife, and (b) the women's capacity to insert her agency into her life choices are closely correlated with WD choices. Women with better social and physical resources prefer WD less.
Open Access
Teachers' and students' perceptions of teachers' task-related motivational strategy use and students' motivation levels
(2004) Kurt Taşpınar, Havva
This thesis explores teacher and student perceptions of teachers’ task-related motivational strategy use at Anadolu University School of Foreign Languages. It also investigates the relationship between students’ perceived motivation levels and teachers’ task-related motivational strategy use. Questionnaires were administered to gather data from 13 randomly chosen teachers and 261 students who were taught by the teachers involved in the study. Data were analyzed quantitatively. The findings of the study revealed significant differences between teacher and student perceptions. Teachers’ perceptions of their strategy use related to tasks were more positive than students’ perceptions. Teachers also rated their students’ motivation levels higher than the students. A comparison of teachers’ perceptions of their strategy use and their students’ motivation levels indicated a low correlation. Students’ perceptions of their own motivation levels and their teachers’ task-related motivational strategy use revealed a low correlation as well. Teachers use task-related strategies generically regardless of their students’ motivation levels. However, teachers should take their students’ motivation into account while designing their courses and selecting the tasks they will use to foster learning in their classrooms. Based on students’ perceptions of teachers’ strategy use, tasks addressing to students’ needs and interests and current abilities should be used. The findings of this study can contribute to the material development projects as it approached the concept of motivation as a practical classroom issue.
Open Access
Utilization of operational code analysis in studying terrorist organizations
(2010-06) Zugaj, Julita Anna
Operational code analysis constituting a framework for systematic study appears to inaugurate a long-waited approach aiming at understanding, unfolding and potentially anticipating the motivational and behavioral constitutions of non-state terrorist organizations. However, operational code constructs known so far do not appear to be compact in respect of the methodology, which could be utilized within the studies of operational codes of organizations different than governmental. Into the bargain, the scholarly evolution of operational code analysis presents an inconsistency associated with the interchangeability of individual and organizational levels of analysis. Addressing these limitations, this thesis seeks to offer an alternative approach by appreciating the instrumentality of beliefs about organizational structure, its potential for determining the style of decision-making and for anticipation of the decision-makers’ logic of political action. This study concludes with a section, which expands the parameters of operational code research incorporating a structural context and discussion of its implications for research on terrorism.