Nihal Yurtseven | Bahcesehir University (original) (raw)
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Papers by Nihal Yurtseven
Reflective dialogue as a job-embedded teacher professional learning activity has still been an un... more Reflective dialogue as a job-embedded teacher professional learning
activity has still been an unexplored area. Little is known about what
factors affect its emergence. This study addresses this gap by examining the effect of the frequency of occurrence of particular meeting agendas on the emergence of reflective dialogue in teacher communities as well as what conditions are conducive to promote reflective dialogue. Using a mixed methods research design, first, we created a single-level multipleindicators multiple-causes model. Through a focus group interview we delved deep into reflective dialogue. In the quantitative part, we found that the conversations on the goals of the school, curriculum, and student learning contributed to the evolution of reflective dialogue among teachers as these topics are more important. As teachers focus more on discussing these three topics, they begin reflecting on their practice through a collaborative dialogue. The follow-up qualitative study revealed that there are more topics that might promote reflective dialogue. Personal and institutional conditions have been revealed as being necessary for creating culture of reflective dialogue. For school leaders, practical solutions to promote reflective dialogue were provided. For researchers, future research directions were suggested to obtain a fuller picture of reflective dialogue across schools.
School Effectiveness and School Improvement
Concepts such as teachers' professional development and students' achievement act as the driving ... more Concepts such as teachers' professional development and students' achievement act as the driving force for the development of each in a causal relationship in EFL teaching, as in many other disciplines. The purpose of this study is to investigate the change Understanding by Design (UbD) made on teachers' professional development and students' achievement. The study was carried out through action research design. The participants were 10 teachers and 436 students. Within action research based UbD studies, the instructors received training, formed four groups and made three designs and implemented them. As qualitative data collection tools, unit designs and one-to-one interviews were used. The quantitative data of the study were collected through English achievement scores. We instrumented content analysis for the qualitative data and the analysis of covariance and independent samples t-Test for the quantitative data. The findings indicated that action research based UbD studies had positive contributions to teachers' professional development process and students' English achievement.
International Online Journal of Educational Sciences, 2015
Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2011
In this study, the effect of the mentoring service on the academic achievements and self-efficacy... more In this study, the effect of the mentoring service on the academic achievements and self-efficacy perceptions of the students attending Y ld z Technical University is examined. The research group consists of 42 students attending the School of Foreign Languages. For data collection, the school's English Proficiency Test points and "Self-efficacy Perception" sub-dimension of "Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSQL)" were used. Findings were analyzed via the analysis of covariance. Results of the study indicate that the mentoring service has no significant effect on students' academic achievement and selfefficacy perceptions.
International Online Journal of Educational Sciences, 2015
Learner autonomy is frequently debated among English language teachers and scholars around the wo... more Learner autonomy is frequently debated among English language teachers and scholars around the world. From the perspective of Self-determination theory, autonomy supported learning environment has close relation with intrinsic motivation, higher perceived competence and academic achievement. The present study aims to define the prediction level of ELT students' academic achievement using their language learning orientation and autonomous learning. The participants of the study were the undergraduate students from two different universities studying in English Language Teaching departments. Results show that there is a positive correlation between intrinsic motivation and academic achievement, and also between autonomous learning and academic achievement. The regression analysis shows that autonomous learning and intrinsic motivation predict academic achievement strongly.
Siirt Universitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, 2013
In today’s world, where learning a foreign language is highly prioritized, it is an important pre... more In today’s world, where learning a foreign language is highly prioritized, it is an important prerequisite that education has components that are lasting, meaningful, and transferable to everyday life. Moreover, these components would have a positive influence on student motivation. The purpose of this study is to investigate students’ language learning motivation and views about integration of Understanding by Design (UbD) into their lessons. The study was carried out through mixed method research. For the quantitative part, pre-test post-test experimental design was carried out while action research was instrumented for the qualitative part of the study. 10 teachers and 436 students participated the study. Of the 436 students, 225 were in the treatment group and 211 were in the control group. Through the action research, 10 instructors who were trained about UbD, were divided into four groups, each of which designed three different unit plans and implemented them in their classes. As quantitative data collection tool, Motivation/Attitude Scale (MAS), which was developed by Dörnyei and adapted to Turkish by Mendi (2009) was used. For the qualitative data of the study, focus group interviews were held with 10 students. The quantitative data was analyzed through the analysis of covariance and independent samples t-test. The qualitative data was analyzed through content analysis. The quantitative results of the study indicated that there was a significant difference in A and B level students’ foreign language learning motivation in favor of the treatment group. The qualitative findings indicated that UbD implementation had a positive impact on students’ foreign language learning motivation and knowledge transfer skills. These findings underline the importance of foreign language motivation and providing students with experiential learning.
UbD modeli ve farklılaştırılmış öğretimin eğitim ortamlarında kullanılması son yıllarda adından s... more UbD modeli ve farklılaştırılmış öğretimin eğitim ortamlarında kullanılması son yıllarda adından sıkça söz ettirmeye başlamıştır. İkisinin öğretimi planlama ve süreci farklılaştırma konusundaki birlikteliği birçok eğitimciye ilham kaynağı olmuştur. Bu araştırmanın amacı Ubd modeline göre hazırlanmış farklılaştırılmış fen öğretiminin etkisini incelemektir. Araştırmanın modeli karma model olup, nitel ve nicel verilerin harmanlanmasıyla oluşmuştur. Araştırmanın çalışma grubunu 14 altıncı sınıf öğrencisi, bir fen bilgisi öğretmeni ve bir gözlemci oluşturmaktadır. Araştırmada veri toplama aracı olarak bir akademik başarı testi, öğretmen görüşmesi, öğrenci görüşmesi, öğrencilerin yansıtma notları ve gözlemcinin notları kullanılmıştır. Araştırmanın sonucunda Ubd modeline göre hazırlanmış farklılaştırılmış fen öğretiminin, öğrencilerin akademik başarılarında anlamlı farklılık olduğunu ortaya çıkmıştır. Ayrıca, araştırmanın nitel verileri de bu sonucu desteklemiş ve uygulamanın avantajları ve dezavantajları konusunda ipuçları sunmuştur. Öğretmen, öğrencilerin derse aktif katılımının önemli olduğunu vurgulamış ve Türkiye'de yapılan genel sınavların Ubd ve farklılaştırılmış öğretim üzerinde olumsuz sonuçları olduğunun altını çizmiştir. Öğrenciler, eğlenceli öğrenme ortamının, öğrenmeyi kolaylaştırdığını ifade etmişlerdir. Araştırmadan elde edilen sonuçlar, etkili bir öğretmen eğitimi yardımıyla, öğretmenlerin Ubd'yi kullanarak ve farklılaştırılmış öğretimi dahil ederek bir tasarım oluşturabileceğini göstermektedir. Bu şekilde gerçekleştirilecek bir tasarım, hem tüm öğrencileri daha iyi öğrenme fırsatlarına yakınlaştıracak, hem de akademik açıdan daha donanımlı ve topluma katkıda bulunan bireyler olmalarını sağlayacaktır.
The purpose of this study is to examine pre-service teachers’ perceptions of intercultural sensit... more The purpose of this study is to examine pre-service teachers’ perceptions of intercultural sensitivity and multicultural practices ideal for the classes. A mixed method was employed to determine the perceptions of pre-service teachers about intercultural sensitivity and curricular practices about multiculturalism in the classes. The sample of the study consists of 220 students attending a pedagogical teacher-training course. As data collection tools, Intercultural Sensitivity Scale was used in order to collect the quantitative data. The qualitative data of the study was collected through a questionnaire in which there were three open-ended questions elaborating on curricular practices about multiculturalism in the classes. The quantitative data of the study was analyzed through t-test. T-test was used in an attempt to reveal the differences between male and female students about intercultural sensitivity. To analyze the qualitative data, a content analysis was carried out and emerging themes were identified. The quantitative results of this study indicated that there is not a significant difference in the intercultural sensitivity levels of pre-service teachers according to gender, the state of going abroad, having foreign friends and nationality. The qualitative results of the study indicated that intercultural sensitivity levels of pre-service teachers are not at the desired level, which mainly stems from inadaquate multicultural awareness and receiving little or no multicultural education.
The combination of Understanding by design (UbD) and Differentiated Instruction (DI) in the educa... more The combination of Understanding by design (UbD) and Differentiated Instruction
(DI) in the educational settings has been gradually evolving. Their essential partnership has
inspired many educators to plan instruction to differentiate the process of teaching and
learning in an effective way. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of UbDbased
differentiated science instruction. The research had an embedded mixed method
design that combined quantitative and qualitative data. The study group consisted of 14 sixth
grade students, a science teacher, and an observer. Data collection instruments were an
academic achievement test, the teacher interview, the students’ interview, students’ selfreflection
notes and observer’s notes. The findings of the study indicated that there was a
significant difference on the academic achievements of the students after UbD-based
differentiated instruction. In addition, the qualitative data both supported this finding and
yielded advantages and disadvantages of this implementation. The teacher emphasized the
importance of active participation of students. However, he underlined that national exams
in Turkey have negative effects on using UbD and DI. The students thought that the
enjoyable nature of the instruction helped them learn better. With effective teacher training,
it can be suggested that, teachers can plan the instruction using UbD and implement DI strategies to provide all children with better opportunities to learn, resulting in more
academically equipped and contributing members of society.
The increasing demands to learn a foreign language, especially English, encourages researchers to... more The increasing demands to learn a foreign language, especially English, encourages researchers to analyze
the dynamics of foreign language learning. The purpose of this research is to determine whether the relationship
between motivational orientations, basic psychological needs, and academic performance in English class can be
modeled. The research group consists of 603 students, attending various grades in a state high school. As data
collection tools, Attitude Motivation Test Battery (AMTB) and Basic Needs Satisfaction in General (BNSG) were
administered. Data were analyzed via SPSS 17.0 and AMOS 21.0 software program through Structural Equation
Model. Results indicate that academic performance in the English course is merely affected by autonomy and
attitude, which are among the components of motivational orientation and basic psychological needs. In addition,
competence and interest in foreign languages are the remote determiners of academic performance.
The purpose of this study is to analyze the motivational beliefs of preparatory class students to... more The purpose of this study is to analyze the motivational beliefs of preparatory class students to learn English. The
research was carried out utilizing a mixed method where quantitative and qualitative data were used together. The
sample chosen purposively consists of 211 students attending the School of Foreign Languages at Yıldız Technical
University. As a quantitative data collection tool, the motivational beliefs dimension of “Motivated Strategies for
Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ)” was used. Qualitative data were collected via two open-ended questions which
were asked to have an insight about motivational beliefs of the students. Quantative data were analyzed via t-test and
ANOVA statistics while qualitative data were analyzed through descriptive analysis. For quantitative results, the
findings initially indicated that there was a significant difference in motivational beliefs between male and female
students in favour of female students. Secondly, there was a significant difference in motivational beliefs associated
with self-efficacy and test anxiety depending on English proficiency level of the students. Thirdly, the resource of
motivation did not constitute a significant difference in motivational beliefs. Finally, qualitative findings revealed
that an enjoyable learning atmosphere motivated the students to learn English.
Reflective dialogue as a job-embedded teacher professional learning activity has still been an un... more Reflective dialogue as a job-embedded teacher professional learning
activity has still been an unexplored area. Little is known about what
factors affect its emergence. This study addresses this gap by examining the effect of the frequency of occurrence of particular meeting agendas on the emergence of reflective dialogue in teacher communities as well as what conditions are conducive to promote reflective dialogue. Using a mixed methods research design, first, we created a single-level multipleindicators multiple-causes model. Through a focus group interview we delved deep into reflective dialogue. In the quantitative part, we found that the conversations on the goals of the school, curriculum, and student learning contributed to the evolution of reflective dialogue among teachers as these topics are more important. As teachers focus more on discussing these three topics, they begin reflecting on their practice through a collaborative dialogue. The follow-up qualitative study revealed that there are more topics that might promote reflective dialogue. Personal and institutional conditions have been revealed as being necessary for creating culture of reflective dialogue. For school leaders, practical solutions to promote reflective dialogue were provided. For researchers, future research directions were suggested to obtain a fuller picture of reflective dialogue across schools.
School Effectiveness and School Improvement
Concepts such as teachers' professional development and students' achievement act as the driving ... more Concepts such as teachers' professional development and students' achievement act as the driving force for the development of each in a causal relationship in EFL teaching, as in many other disciplines. The purpose of this study is to investigate the change Understanding by Design (UbD) made on teachers' professional development and students' achievement. The study was carried out through action research design. The participants were 10 teachers and 436 students. Within action research based UbD studies, the instructors received training, formed four groups and made three designs and implemented them. As qualitative data collection tools, unit designs and one-to-one interviews were used. The quantitative data of the study were collected through English achievement scores. We instrumented content analysis for the qualitative data and the analysis of covariance and independent samples t-Test for the quantitative data. The findings indicated that action research based UbD studies had positive contributions to teachers' professional development process and students' English achievement.
International Online Journal of Educational Sciences, 2015
Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2011
In this study, the effect of the mentoring service on the academic achievements and self-efficacy... more In this study, the effect of the mentoring service on the academic achievements and self-efficacy perceptions of the students attending Y ld z Technical University is examined. The research group consists of 42 students attending the School of Foreign Languages. For data collection, the school's English Proficiency Test points and "Self-efficacy Perception" sub-dimension of "Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSQL)" were used. Findings were analyzed via the analysis of covariance. Results of the study indicate that the mentoring service has no significant effect on students' academic achievement and selfefficacy perceptions.
International Online Journal of Educational Sciences, 2015
Learner autonomy is frequently debated among English language teachers and scholars around the wo... more Learner autonomy is frequently debated among English language teachers and scholars around the world. From the perspective of Self-determination theory, autonomy supported learning environment has close relation with intrinsic motivation, higher perceived competence and academic achievement. The present study aims to define the prediction level of ELT students' academic achievement using their language learning orientation and autonomous learning. The participants of the study were the undergraduate students from two different universities studying in English Language Teaching departments. Results show that there is a positive correlation between intrinsic motivation and academic achievement, and also between autonomous learning and academic achievement. The regression analysis shows that autonomous learning and intrinsic motivation predict academic achievement strongly.
Siirt Universitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, 2013
In today’s world, where learning a foreign language is highly prioritized, it is an important pre... more In today’s world, where learning a foreign language is highly prioritized, it is an important prerequisite that education has components that are lasting, meaningful, and transferable to everyday life. Moreover, these components would have a positive influence on student motivation. The purpose of this study is to investigate students’ language learning motivation and views about integration of Understanding by Design (UbD) into their lessons. The study was carried out through mixed method research. For the quantitative part, pre-test post-test experimental design was carried out while action research was instrumented for the qualitative part of the study. 10 teachers and 436 students participated the study. Of the 436 students, 225 were in the treatment group and 211 were in the control group. Through the action research, 10 instructors who were trained about UbD, were divided into four groups, each of which designed three different unit plans and implemented them in their classes. As quantitative data collection tool, Motivation/Attitude Scale (MAS), which was developed by Dörnyei and adapted to Turkish by Mendi (2009) was used. For the qualitative data of the study, focus group interviews were held with 10 students. The quantitative data was analyzed through the analysis of covariance and independent samples t-test. The qualitative data was analyzed through content analysis. The quantitative results of the study indicated that there was a significant difference in A and B level students’ foreign language learning motivation in favor of the treatment group. The qualitative findings indicated that UbD implementation had a positive impact on students’ foreign language learning motivation and knowledge transfer skills. These findings underline the importance of foreign language motivation and providing students with experiential learning.
UbD modeli ve farklılaştırılmış öğretimin eğitim ortamlarında kullanılması son yıllarda adından s... more UbD modeli ve farklılaştırılmış öğretimin eğitim ortamlarında kullanılması son yıllarda adından sıkça söz ettirmeye başlamıştır. İkisinin öğretimi planlama ve süreci farklılaştırma konusundaki birlikteliği birçok eğitimciye ilham kaynağı olmuştur. Bu araştırmanın amacı Ubd modeline göre hazırlanmış farklılaştırılmış fen öğretiminin etkisini incelemektir. Araştırmanın modeli karma model olup, nitel ve nicel verilerin harmanlanmasıyla oluşmuştur. Araştırmanın çalışma grubunu 14 altıncı sınıf öğrencisi, bir fen bilgisi öğretmeni ve bir gözlemci oluşturmaktadır. Araştırmada veri toplama aracı olarak bir akademik başarı testi, öğretmen görüşmesi, öğrenci görüşmesi, öğrencilerin yansıtma notları ve gözlemcinin notları kullanılmıştır. Araştırmanın sonucunda Ubd modeline göre hazırlanmış farklılaştırılmış fen öğretiminin, öğrencilerin akademik başarılarında anlamlı farklılık olduğunu ortaya çıkmıştır. Ayrıca, araştırmanın nitel verileri de bu sonucu desteklemiş ve uygulamanın avantajları ve dezavantajları konusunda ipuçları sunmuştur. Öğretmen, öğrencilerin derse aktif katılımının önemli olduğunu vurgulamış ve Türkiye'de yapılan genel sınavların Ubd ve farklılaştırılmış öğretim üzerinde olumsuz sonuçları olduğunun altını çizmiştir. Öğrenciler, eğlenceli öğrenme ortamının, öğrenmeyi kolaylaştırdığını ifade etmişlerdir. Araştırmadan elde edilen sonuçlar, etkili bir öğretmen eğitimi yardımıyla, öğretmenlerin Ubd'yi kullanarak ve farklılaştırılmış öğretimi dahil ederek bir tasarım oluşturabileceğini göstermektedir. Bu şekilde gerçekleştirilecek bir tasarım, hem tüm öğrencileri daha iyi öğrenme fırsatlarına yakınlaştıracak, hem de akademik açıdan daha donanımlı ve topluma katkıda bulunan bireyler olmalarını sağlayacaktır.
The purpose of this study is to examine pre-service teachers’ perceptions of intercultural sensit... more The purpose of this study is to examine pre-service teachers’ perceptions of intercultural sensitivity and multicultural practices ideal for the classes. A mixed method was employed to determine the perceptions of pre-service teachers about intercultural sensitivity and curricular practices about multiculturalism in the classes. The sample of the study consists of 220 students attending a pedagogical teacher-training course. As data collection tools, Intercultural Sensitivity Scale was used in order to collect the quantitative data. The qualitative data of the study was collected through a questionnaire in which there were three open-ended questions elaborating on curricular practices about multiculturalism in the classes. The quantitative data of the study was analyzed through t-test. T-test was used in an attempt to reveal the differences between male and female students about intercultural sensitivity. To analyze the qualitative data, a content analysis was carried out and emerging themes were identified. The quantitative results of this study indicated that there is not a significant difference in the intercultural sensitivity levels of pre-service teachers according to gender, the state of going abroad, having foreign friends and nationality. The qualitative results of the study indicated that intercultural sensitivity levels of pre-service teachers are not at the desired level, which mainly stems from inadaquate multicultural awareness and receiving little or no multicultural education.
The combination of Understanding by design (UbD) and Differentiated Instruction (DI) in the educa... more The combination of Understanding by design (UbD) and Differentiated Instruction
(DI) in the educational settings has been gradually evolving. Their essential partnership has
inspired many educators to plan instruction to differentiate the process of teaching and
learning in an effective way. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of UbDbased
differentiated science instruction. The research had an embedded mixed method
design that combined quantitative and qualitative data. The study group consisted of 14 sixth
grade students, a science teacher, and an observer. Data collection instruments were an
academic achievement test, the teacher interview, the students’ interview, students’ selfreflection
notes and observer’s notes. The findings of the study indicated that there was a
significant difference on the academic achievements of the students after UbD-based
differentiated instruction. In addition, the qualitative data both supported this finding and
yielded advantages and disadvantages of this implementation. The teacher emphasized the
importance of active participation of students. However, he underlined that national exams
in Turkey have negative effects on using UbD and DI. The students thought that the
enjoyable nature of the instruction helped them learn better. With effective teacher training,
it can be suggested that, teachers can plan the instruction using UbD and implement DI strategies to provide all children with better opportunities to learn, resulting in more
academically equipped and contributing members of society.
The increasing demands to learn a foreign language, especially English, encourages researchers to... more The increasing demands to learn a foreign language, especially English, encourages researchers to analyze
the dynamics of foreign language learning. The purpose of this research is to determine whether the relationship
between motivational orientations, basic psychological needs, and academic performance in English class can be
modeled. The research group consists of 603 students, attending various grades in a state high school. As data
collection tools, Attitude Motivation Test Battery (AMTB) and Basic Needs Satisfaction in General (BNSG) were
administered. Data were analyzed via SPSS 17.0 and AMOS 21.0 software program through Structural Equation
Model. Results indicate that academic performance in the English course is merely affected by autonomy and
attitude, which are among the components of motivational orientation and basic psychological needs. In addition,
competence and interest in foreign languages are the remote determiners of academic performance.
The purpose of this study is to analyze the motivational beliefs of preparatory class students to... more The purpose of this study is to analyze the motivational beliefs of preparatory class students to learn English. The
research was carried out utilizing a mixed method where quantitative and qualitative data were used together. The
sample chosen purposively consists of 211 students attending the School of Foreign Languages at Yıldız Technical
University. As a quantitative data collection tool, the motivational beliefs dimension of “Motivated Strategies for
Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ)” was used. Qualitative data were collected via two open-ended questions which
were asked to have an insight about motivational beliefs of the students. Quantative data were analyzed via t-test and
ANOVA statistics while qualitative data were analyzed through descriptive analysis. For quantitative results, the
findings initially indicated that there was a significant difference in motivational beliefs between male and female
students in favour of female students. Secondly, there was a significant difference in motivational beliefs associated
with self-efficacy and test anxiety depending on English proficiency level of the students. Thirdly, the resource of
motivation did not constitute a significant difference in motivational beliefs. Finally, qualitative findings revealed
that an enjoyable learning atmosphere motivated the students to learn English.