Open Journal for Educational Research

117-128

Authors: Hasan Hüseyin Kılınç & Tuğba Andaş

This study aims to evaluate the views of preschool teachers about values education and activities in the preschool education program. Phenomenology design, one of the qualitative research methods, was used in the research. The study group of our research consists of 15 pre-school teachers working in Nevşehir, Turkey. The data of the study were collected with semi-structured interview and analyzed by content analysis. The result of the research demonstrates that the teachers evaluated the values education in five main categories as “creating the foundation”, “educational process”, “behavior”, “responsibility” and “rules”. Some participants found the values education in the pre-school curriculum sufficient. The values that children learn most easily are love, respect, responsibility, tolerance, sharing, honesty and cooperation. In classroom practices, it was concluded that they generally teach the concepts of values education by using visual materials. The majority of the teachers participating in the research suggested that there should be cooperation with the family, teacher, school and environment regarding the values education in the pre-school education program. They also suggested that extra-class activities should be included in the program, in-service training, material support and practical activities should be given more time.

139-154

Authors: Sevgül Çaliş & N. Remziye Ergül

This research aims to determine the opinions of high school students about the Physics and Chemistry courses during the distance education due to the Covid-19 pandemic. 88 students who study in two public schools in Bursa were included in the research by determining through purposive sampling. In the research, we used a special case research design, one of the qualitative research methods, and semi-structured documents containing six open-ended questions we created as a data collection tool. When evaluating the data obtained using content analysis, we found that most participants stated they had difficulties in the problem-solving process in physics and chemistry and could not conduct an experiment. In addition, students talked about the advantages of taking these courses with distance education, such as listening comfortably in a quiet home environment, getting individual education, time to review the lesson, discipline, health, and economy. They also mentioned the disadvantages as not being able to focus on the lesson, not understanding the courses, experiencing internet and technical problems, and not socializing.

165-172

Authors: Asli Koculu, Mustafa Sami Topcu & Ayse Ciftci

In the globalizing world, individuals should be educated well-qualified to be effective citizens and workers by adapting the information society of the 21st century. At this point, STEM education is considered to promote the construction and improvement of 21st century skills and competences needed for individuals’ living in today’s world. In light of this consideration, the purpose of the current research is to examine the effect of STEM education on pre-service science teachers’ (PSTs) perceptions of 21st century skills and competences and problem solving skills. In this research, a one group pre- and post-test design was conducted. The participants of the current study were 26 PSTs at a public university. The data of the study were collected with “21st Century Skills and Competences Scale” and “Problem Solving Inventory”. In the data analysis, the paired sample t test was used. Findings revealed that there is a statistically significant difference among pre- and post-test total and sub-factors scores of PSTs’ perceptions of both 21st century skills and competences and problem solving skills in favor of the post-test scores. These results suggest that STEM education have a potential to improve PSTs’ perceptions of 21st century skills and competences and problem solving skills.

1-18

Authors: Jason Keys, Demetrius N. Booth & Patricia R. Maggard

U.S. Air Force enlisted professional military education shifted traditionally in-person leadership interventions online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Air Force guidance stated that pre-service faculty training focused on in-person instruction was sufficient for teaching online and that instructors did not require training that included online teaching strategies. This study was conducted to examine the efficacy of pre-service training for military leadership instructors teaching online. Utilizing a conceptual framework of teacher self-efficacy, locus of control theory, and social-cognitive theory, this research examined the experiences of four instructors who graduated pre-service training focused on in-person instruction and taught online directly thereafter. Analyzing data from interviews, observations, and student surveys, results indicated the pre-service training, coupled with the participants' military supervisory background, adequately prepared participants to teach online. Future studies should examine a larger sample size of instructors to identify trends and patterns within the professional military education instructor community.

33-42

Authors: Charalambos Konstantinou & Ioannis Konstantinou

The main issue of this article is education as a meaning “process” and as the requested point (desideratum) in accordance with its role in educational and social reality. More specifically, by illustrating the aspects of this relation, we seek to give prominence to the role of education at an ethical and practical level, concerning not only citizens’ social behavior but educational institutions and wider society, as well. It is our primary intention to highlight education’s relationship with social learning and its effect on students’ social behavior, within the family and school environment. At his point, the practices that the child becomes familiar with within the family, school, and social environment in general and which eventually, play a decisive role in the development of personality and more specific in a person’s behavior, will be discussed. In addition, specific samples of young individuals’ and adults’ social behavior, which reveal the deficiency of education and at the same time concerning prevailing culture and its causes, will be determined. The article is concluded with the final observations, findings, and pedagogical suggestions.

57-68

Authors: Elif Buldu

The purpose of the study was to explore Turkish preschool teachers’ views and implementation of play and playful learning in their own classrooms. Through semi-structured interview questions, the participating teachers’ perspectives were investigated using a phenomenological research approach. A thematic data analysis approach was used to examine the gathered information. The current study’s findings revealed that participating teachers have diverse perspectives on the relationship between play and learning. While many of them highlighted the significance of play for children’s learning and development, only a few of them suggested how they can give a learning opportunity through play. They also noted that arranging the environment to learn through play was challenging for them. The findings emphasized the importance of changing teachers’ stereotypical views of learning and realizing the benefits of playful learning for all children. As a result, the study’s findings indicated the need for new government regulations and teacher training programs to assist teachers’ knowledge and practice in offering playful learning.

89-104

Authors: Elif Ertem Akbas & Kübra Alan

In the world where we always meet geometric constructions, it is a necessity to make sense of the objects belonging to these constructions. In this respect, this study aimed to examine the teaching of volume with the blending of the realistic mathematics education (RME) and GeoGebra. The study group consisted of 12 students attending lessons regularly. In the study, action research was used, and the data obtained were interpreted with descriptive and content analysis. The data collection tools used in the study included semi-structured interview forms, video records, audio records and activity sheets prepared by the researcher in accordance with the RME approach. When the findings were examined, it was concluded that the positive impressions occurring in the visualization and interpretation processes of the students allowed the students to write mathematical sentences as well as to interpret the outputs by making mathematical inferences.