ASIAN JOURNAL OF INSTRUCTION

18-30

Authors: Fatma ERDOĞAN, Sare ŞENGÜL

The reflection has been referred to as inquiry into one’s experience. Reflective activities encourage one’s to analyse their performance. In this context, it can be said reflective thinking had a critical place in education. Reflective thinking, which is be defined as questioning self action when it is happening and then organizing general information by thinking on the self action again, is considered as an important element for the teacher training process. The purpose of this study was to investigate the pre-service elementary mathematics teachers’ reflective thinking levels towards mathematics point of view elementary pre-service mathematics teachers’ characteristics. This research was based on a relational survey method which is one of the general survey models. This research was carried out in the spring term of 2013-2014 academic year, all studying at the Marmara University, Education Faculty, Department of Teacher Training in Mathematics at Elementary School Level. The sample of the study consisted of 108 pre-service elementary mathematics teachers at the third year of their four-year mathematics teacher graduate program. To determine the pre-service elementary mathematics teachers’ reflective thinking levels, data were collected using the “Reflective Thinking Scale” developed by Kember and his colleagues (2000) and adapted into Turkish by Başol and Gencel (2013). Cronbach alpha reliability coefficient of Reflective Thinking Scale was found 0.75. Descriptive statistics, independent sample t-test and analysis of variance were employed to analyze quantitative data. According to the descriptive result, the average value of the levels of pre-service elementary mathematics teachers’ reflective thinking levels towards mathematics was 2.85 (df.:1.46). Results of the study revealed that pre-service elementary mathematics teachers have middle level of reflective thinking skill. According to the results, while there were significant differences in pre-service elementary mathematics teachers’ views about reflective thinking levels towards mathematics in terms of the variable of the gender, there were not significant differences in reflective thinking levels towards mathematics in terms of the variables of the pre-service elementary mathematics teachers’ education types and highschool the person graduated. According to the results of the data analysis, it was seen that the female pre-service elementary mathematics teachers’ reflective thinking levels towards mathematics were significantly higher than male pre-service elementary mathematics teachers’. With regard to research findings, suggestions were offered for future studies by emphasizing the necessity for measures to increase pre-service elementary mathematics teachers’ knowledge on reflective thinking as well as its use. Keywords: Reflective thinking, pre-service teachers, mathematics education, elementary

41-52

Authors: Aynur GÜLCAN, Pervin NEDİM BAL

Although importance of investigating positive concepts is huge for a healthier life, in our country there are few studies investigating psychological well-being, happiness and life satisfaction. Optimism, happiness and life satisfaction are considered as important concepts of positive psychology. This study aims to investigate the effect of optimism on happiness and life satisfaction. The sample of the study constitutes of 394 (225 female/169 male) young adults who study in university. In order to obtain data,”The Satisfaction with Life Scale” (SWLS), “The Life Orientation Test” (LOT), and “Oxford Happiness Questionnaire Short Form” (OHQ-SF) were used. To evaluate the data descriptive statistical methods (Number, Percentage, Average, Standard deviation) were used. T-test was used for comparison of quantitative data. The correlation between dependent and independent variables of the study is tested with Pearson correlation analysis, and the effect was tested with regression analysis. Findings are calculated in 95% confidence interval, and 5%significance level. Findings of the study indicate that optimism is positively correlated with happiness and life satisfaction. In accordance with these findings, we can say that in our country insufficient studies were conducted to investigate psychological well-being, happiness and life-satisfaction while investigating positive concepts is important for a healthier life. There must be more studies in this area. Key Words: optimism, happiness, life satisfaction, young adults

64-76

Authors: Osman AKTAN

In this study, the concordance of the values in "100 Basic Works", recommended by the Ministry of Education for elementary schools, and the values specified in the list of elementary schools religious culture and knowledge of moral curriculum was examined. Qualitative research method was benefited in the study. The data source for the study is the "100 Basic Works" recommended by the Ministry of Education for elementary schools The study group is a total of twenty-one (21) books out of "100 Basic Works" including twelve (12) local and (9) foreign writers. Those books, which were grouped according to numbers of pages, were chosen by maximum diversity sampling method. The values in the domestic and foreign authored books that make up the study group were analyzed and the values in the domestic and foreign authored books were determined. It was determined that the most common values in the domestic and foreign authored books were love, charity, respect, aesthetics, friendship, courage, compassion, honesty, good faith, reliability, self-sacrifice and value of responsibility. It was determined that the least common values were scientific, protecting the fiduciary, respect for places of worship, sensitivity to the historical heritage, respet for Turkish Flag and National Anthem, the conscious of democracy, sensitivity to the natural environment, mannerliness, paying attention to be healthy, thriftiness and value of respect for Tukish elders. It was determined that among the books that were examined, the value "chastiy" which take place in religious culture and knowledge of moral curriculum was absent in both local and foreign books. In religious culture and knowledge of moral curriculum, respect for places of worship and chastity in local authored books could not be found. It was determined that in religious culture and knowledge of moral curriculum, independence, love of nature, protecting the fiduciary, being of ghazi, mannerliness, tolerance, chastity,appreciation, love of nation, , paying attention to be healthy, martyrization, sensitivity to the historical heritage, thriftiness, respect for Tukish elders, respet for Turkish Flag and National Anthem in foreign authored books were absent. Key Words: Religious Culture And Knowledge Of Moral Curriculum, Values Education, 100 Basic Works

86-101

Authors: Ertuğ CAN, Orhan BAKSİ

The aim of the study is to investigate the effect of the attitudes and behaviors of students in classroom to teachers' classroom management success, and to develop recommendations for the area. This research has been carried out via face to face interviews with the secondary school 6th, 7th and 8th grade students and branch teachers in Istanbul province, in the district of Pendik. The working group was consisted of 11 branch teachers and 15 students. According to research findings, teachers in the classroom are faced most with lack of attention, lack of interest, argumentations and unauthorized conversations with friends as undesirable student behaviors. Teachers usually try to resolve unwanted behaviors by verbal warning, speech out side the classroom and using body language. According to the opinions of teachers, to be successful at classroom management, Teachers state that the training received at the university is not sufficient in terms of classroom management, and there are positiv eeffects of school management, classroomclimate and students' positive attitudes and behaviors in the classroom to the achievement of teachers' classroom management. Teachers state that exhibition of negative student behaviors in classroom cause teachers toexhibit negative attitudes to the class. According to the students' opinion, teachers generally warn the students verbally who have unwanted behaviors such as disturbing the flow of lecture, not listening to the lessons in the classroom, and disrespectness and unauthorized speech and they reward the positive by the high note or greetings. Teachers determine the classroom rules with the students. Students state that teachers exhibit negative attitudes and behaviors to the classroom such as various criminal practices, getting angry and shouting against negative student behaviors. According to the results of the study, students' attitudes and behaviors directly affect the success of the classroom management of the teachers and change the teacher attitudes and behaviors to the classroom. According to survey findings, with the effective education of teachers through pre-service and in-service training, collaboration with parents, informing the students and the support of the school administrations, the negative effects of student behaviors in the classroom to the teachers’ classroom management can be reduced. Keywords: Teacher, student, classroom management, attitude, behavior.

116-127

Authors: Banu USLU, Aysel ÇAĞDAŞ

The purpose of the present study is to find out the effects of sub-social characteristics, mother’s education level, the number of siblings and gender on 7-8 and 9 year-olds’ (N=257) perception of understanding social and moral rules. The population forming the study is the students attending elementary schools of Directorate of National Education in the province of Konya during the academic year 2004-2005. Of these 257 students as the study sample, 89 students represented the city culture, 78 of them represented the town culture, and 90 of them represented the village culture. In order to determine children’s perception of understanding moral and social rules, ‘Perception of Understanding Moral and Social Rules Scale’ (P.U.M.S.R.S), adapted from Smetana (1981) and developed by Nobes and Pawson (2003), is applied. According to the findings regarding children’s Perception of Understanding Moral Rules, the mother’s educational background is effective on children’s Perception of Understanding Moral Rules (U.M.R) in terms of seriousness and alterability of rules sub-dimensions. Besides, socio-cultural level of students found to be effective only in sub-dimension of authority contingency. Moreover, influences of gender is found effective only in lack of rules sub-dimension considering the total score average. Considering the findings regarding children’s Perception of Understanding Social Rules, the mother’s educational background was significant in terms of the average score of those who were educated and illiterate regarding the alterability of rules sub-dimension. There were no significant differences in any of the sub-dimensions considering the number of siblings. All differences in the present study are discussed as significant at the p< 0.05 level or greater. Keywords: Perception, moral, social, elementary school

135-148

Authors: Gül KOZALAK, Ali ATEŞ

This study was carried out to determine the acceptance levels of the theory of evolution by the first class students who studies Science Faculty at university. The problem sentence of the research; Are there a differentiation between the acceptance levels of the theory of evolution and the first class students of the Science Faculty? Research group covers 88 students studying in the Physics,Science and Biology departments of Ahmet Kelesoglu Teacher Education and Training Faculty in Necmettin Erbakan University. In the search, 5-point Likert-type scale was used for the acceptance of the evolution theory called Reliability of the Measure of Acceptance of the Theory of Evolution developed by Rutledge and Sadler (2007). The total safety coefficient of the test Cronbach α =0,74. Descriptive statistical analysis was used for acceptance levels of the theory of evolution. Students state their acceptance levels of theory of evolution as ‘Undecided’ except for ‘The Age of the World’ in the general of the scale and among the sub dimensions. Key Words: EVOLUTİON THEORY, ACCEPTANCE, UNİVERSITY STUDENTS

157-171

Authors: Hidayet TOK, Savaş BERK

In this research, the training of teachers of children with autism, autism in children was undertaken to determine the difficulties encountered in mathematics teaching. Screening model with qualitative research design was used in this study. The study sample formed with 10 teachers in special education and rehabilitation institutions affiliated to the Ministry of Education with 10 teachers in Gaziantep Autistic Children Education Center and Business Education Center a total of 20 teachers located in Gaziantep Şahinbey district. In order to identify the difficulties faced by children with autism in mathematics education research, developed by the researcher "Difficulties in Children with autism Teaching Mathematics Intervention" was applied. The findings obtained from this study are as follows: 1.Attitudes towards learning mathematics children with autism vary as non-autistic children. Considering individual differences in children with autism attitudes towards learning mathematics it was observed that different. 2. Mathematics learning levels of children with autism has been shown to vary depending on the desired subject to be taught in math class. 3. Children with autism in mathematics courses in "rhythmic counting, simple level Addition and Subtraction Placement" on issues such as teaching were found to be more successful. 4. Children with autism in mathematics lessons in "Problem Solving, Multiplication-Division" was seen as they have difficulty in teaching the subjects. 5. In mathematics teaching children with autism "Lecture, benefit from the concrete object, question-answer" have been shown to use as teaching-methods and techniques. 6. Persistence in mathematics in children with autism "to practice with different examples to use in daily life, independent repetition, making applications at different times" and have been shown to measure. 7. In mathematics teaching children with autism in the family "collaboration with the teacher, to the home of what was covered again, checking assignments, the student encouragement, patience and follow-up training" as well as expectations, have been identified. Key words: Autism, mathematics teaching, difficulty

186-197

Authors: Şadiye DEMİR, Feryal ÇUBUKÇU

The language teaching method ‘Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling’, developed by a Spanish High school teacher named Blaine Ray in the 1990s, aims to develop fluent speech in language learners. ‘Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling’ arouses considerable interest in terms of its variety of teaching techniques and its high influence of two prevalent notions in foreign language teaching- Total Physical Response and the Natural Approach. ‘Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling’ sees comprehensible language input, which prompts learners to speak fluently and correctly in the target language, making the language classroom interesting and frequent repetition of vocabulary or language structures, as important ingredients to language acquisition. The purpose of our study is to reveal whether the language teaching method ‘Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling’ (TPRS) has any impact on lexical competence of preschool students, who learn English as a foreign language in Turkey, and whether there is a gender difference in terms of achievement. This quasi-experimental study was conducted in two preschool classes consisting of 39 students of the MEV College Private Schools Güzelbahçe during the academic year 2013-2014. In our study, 20 new lexical items were taught in the experimental group through TPRS and in the control group through the Communicative Approach. The researcher, being the teacher at the same time, applied a pre-test to the students in order to test their lexical knowledge before the intervention. During the four-week treatment period, the researcher taught the 20 target words to the experimental group with the TPRS method and to the control group with the Communicative Approach. After the intervention, both groups took post-tests, which were analysed statistically. The results showed that the experimental group, who was taught the target words with the TPRS method, statistically outperformed the control group in the post-test. Additionally, there was no significant gender difference in the post-tests in terms of achievement. Based on the study findings, it can be concluded that the TPRS method is effective on lexical competence and should be used in lexical teaching. Key Words: TPRS method, lexical competence, preschool students