Browsing by Subject "project work"

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Open Access
An exploratory study of curricular change in an EFL context
(2007) Sezgin, Gülin
This study provided insights about the process of implementing curricular change in an EFL context by identifying the problems in an existing curriculum and needs of the students, setting goals based on those needs and problems, selecting an appropriate teaching tool, training the administrators and teachers on that tool and preparing students for the new teaching tool to be implemented into the curriculum, and piloting and evaluating the new tool. In addition, it explored teachers’ and students’ attitudes towards a new learning tool in a university EFL program and investigated the administrators’, teachers’ and students’ attitudes towards implementing that teaching tool into the curriculum at Afyon Kocatepe University School of Foreign Languages (AKU SFL). This study was conducted at AKU SFL, with the participation of 12 teachers (three of whom are also administrators) and one class of 25 students together with their teacher. Data were collected through questionnaires, interviews, learner diaries, classroom observation and journals. The findings of this study revealed that teachers, students, and administrators had positive attitudes towards the chosen teaching tool and its implementation in the curriculum at AKU SFL. In addition, all sets of participants indicated some potential constraints of using the new tool and proposed a variety of recommendations for possible improvements. Moreover, this study underlined some major aspects of a process of implementing curricular change in an EFL context. The importance of teacher training, preparing students for the new tool, and taking administrators, teachers, and students’ opinions into consideration in all of the steps of a curricular change was revealed. This study also provides a model for a curricular change process in similar institutions.
Open Access
Instructors and administrators' attitudes towards project work as an alternative assessment tool and as an instructional approach at Karadeniz Technical University School of Foreign Languages Department of Basic English
(2005) Gökçen, Ramazan Alparslan
The study investigated the attitudes of the instructors of English currently working at Karadeniz Technical University School of Foreign Languages Department of Basic English towards project work as an alternative assessment and as an instructional approach and their knowledge about project work. In this study administrators’ views on implementation of project work in the program is also investigated. Data were collected through interviews and questionnaires. First the instructors were given a questionnaire. Second interviews conducted both with administrators and volunteer instructors. The results of data analysis revealed that both instructors and administrators working for Karadeniz Technical University School of Foreign Languages Department of Basic English have positive attitudes towards project work as an alternative assessment and as an instructional tool. Most of the instructors found using project assessments more satisfying and acceptable than using traditional pencil-paper tests such as multiple-choice or short answer tests. However, the analysis interviews revealed that some of the instructors have difficulties in implementing projects in their classroom. The results of the interviews conducted with administrators also revealed that there is a need for in-service training for instructors in respect to use of projects. Moreover, the results of this study suggest that participants have some concerns about current implementation of project work at KTU and a variety of suggestions for possible improvements. This study suggests that if the instructors are given enough training about use of projects, the benefits of project work may be maximized in the curriculum.