Dr. Devrim HOL | Pamukkale University (original) (raw)

Papers by Dr. Devrim HOL

RumeliDE Dil ve Edebiyat Araştırmaları Dergisi, Jun 21, 2022

Yabancı dil sınıflarında İngilizce konuşma kaygısı üzerine bir derleme çalışması / D. Höl & Y. Ka... more Yabancı dil sınıflarında İngilizce konuşma kaygısı üzerine bir derleme çalışması / D. Höl & Y. Kasımi

Speaking is a productive skill for the learners and it is doubtless a must to communicate for the... more Speaking is a productive skill for the learners and it is doubtless a must to communicate for the learners learning English as a second language. As multilingualism gained importance throughout the world, testing speaking skills took its place in many institutions and universities for the past few decades; however, it requires a lot of difficulties to administer a valid and reliable test. As a result of this, sometimes having the real validity and reliability may be difficult in speaking tests

IGI Global eBooks, Jan 13, 2023

International Journal of Educational Spectrum

Foreign language learning process of gifted individuals plays a critical role in both their self-... more Foreign language learning process of gifted individuals plays a critical role in both their self-development and academic life. However, EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teachers may encounter various challenges while teaching to gifted individuals. The purpose of the present research is to reveal the opinions of EFL teachers in Science and Art Centers (SACs) on the challenges they encounter in teaching English, find out possible sources for these difficulties, and their solutions and recommendations. In total, 21 EFL teachers working in different SACs in Turkiye participated in the study. The data were collected through a semi-structured interview based on three main themes: a) the challenges the participants have faced, b) the participants’ views on the source of these problems, and c) their suggested strategies to cope with the mentioned challenges. Content analysis was carried out to analyze the data. The qualitative findings demonstrated that the EFL teachers experienced sim...

Mehmet Akif Ersoy Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi

The purpose of this study is to find out the impact of DigiFlyers, a digital storytelling program... more The purpose of this study is to find out the impact of DigiFlyers, a digital storytelling program, on the listening comprehension and performance of young learners. It was critical to establish validity and reliability by examining the data from a variety of perspectives, the current study used a quasi-experimental research methodology to collect data from participants, employing both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. As quantitative data, participants' pre- and post-test results in Cambridge's YLE (Young Learners English) tests, Flyers, and the exam's listening portion were studied. After the pre-test, the experimental group was given DigiFlyers for eight weeks to see how it improved their listening comprehension and performance on the Flyers test for young English learners. The study's findings show a clear link between DigiFlyers and improved learners' listening skills in the Flyers test. In addition, participants were interviewed at the conclusion o...

Avrasya Uluslararası Araştırmalar Dergisi, 2020

The main purpose of the study was to investigate a) the self-efficacy level of learners of Englis... more The main purpose of the study was to investigate a) the self-efficacy level of learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) in the process of learning English, b) whether their selfefficacy levels differ according to variables, such as proficiency levels and gender. It also targets c) to explore how self-efficient EFL learners are in terms of listening, reading, writing, and speaking skills. In addition, the study also aims at d) investigating whether there is a relationship between the self-efficacy level of Turkish EFL learners and their academic achievement. The setting of the study is a preparatory program. This study was implemented with 525 students enrolled at a state university in Turkey and carried out during the spring semester of the 2016-2017 academic year. The study followed a mixed-method design; first, quantitative data was collected through a questionnaire, "Questionnaire of English Selfefficacy", developed by Açıkel (2011) and adapted by the researcher. The results of the questionnaire were analysed via Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 22.0. Secondly, semi-structured interviews, whose protocol was developed by the researcher, with randomly selected 24 participants were carried out to assist the quantitative data with the qualitative one.

Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies, 2017

The purpose of this study is to investigate the attributions of Turkish EFL learners on success a... more The purpose of this study is to investigate the attributions of Turkish EFL learners on success and failure in learning English as a foreign language with different variables such as gender and level of English proficiency. To investigate the attributions of the participants and gather the relevant data, a questionnaire including 38 items and semi-structured interview protocol were applied. To analyze the data, SPSS 20.0 was used, and interview protocol was decoded using document analysis. It was revealed from the findings that learners attribute their success and failure to both internal and external attributions; however, they give more priority to internal attributions. Investigating all these concepts will help all the stakeholders to be aware and understand the reasons behind the learners’ success and failure in learning English with different variables including gender, and level of proficiency.

This paper aims to find out the factors affecting the L2 motivation of Turkish EFL learners in a ... more This paper aims to find out the factors affecting the L2 motivation of Turkish EFL learners in a negative way and discover whether gender, type of education and the level of the students have an impact on their motivation. The data gathered from 205 prep-class students at Pamukkale University School of Foreign Languages showed that although there were no differences in the factors in terms of learners’ type of education and the level of English, an important and meaningful difference between male and female learners was found. Based on the findings, the implications of the results and suggestions for future research are discussed.

This paper is an attempt to explore EFL teachers’ opinions about the problems they encounter and ... more This paper is an attempt to explore EFL teachers’ opinions about the problems they encounter and proposals for solutions with regard to the speaking test implemented at a state university in Turkey. The participants were 22 EFL instructors teaching English at a state university in Turkey. The data were gathered through a semi-structured interview form developed by the researcher. The form was developed based on the review of literature. Among the content analysis methods, categorical analysis method and inductive analysis method were used to analyze the data obtained through semi-structured interview form administered to the teachers. T he results were analyzed and discussed in terms of the speaking test and its implications for teaching and learning activities and testing. In the light of the study findings, majority of the teachers thought that time limitation is a factor that affects the validity and reliability of speaking test. In addition, teachers stated that formative asses...

Journal of Educational Issues, 2020

This study aims to investigate the beliefs of Turkish EFL teachers about implementing digital tec... more This study aims to investigate the beliefs of Turkish EFL teachers about implementing digital technology in the classroom and the underlying factors which affect their beliefs. Quantitative research design was selected and online Beliefs Questionnaire was used for data collection. The participants of the study consisted of 563 Turkish in-service EFL teachers working at state schools, private schools or colleges in various parts of Turkey. Descriptive statistics and correlation analysis were performed to determine whether the participants’ four categorized beliefs about the use of digital technology (i.e. importance, use, expertise, and context) interrelated with each other, and if any of the participants’ demographic and background factors (i.e. age, gender, level of education, years of teaching experience) predicted the reported beliefs. The results indicated that teachers shared positive views on the use of digital technology in EFL classrooms in terms of importance, use, expertis...

CBU International Conference Proceedings, 2015

What students in EFL classes think and feel about the target language culture has always been in ... more What students in EFL classes think and feel about the target language culture has always been in a great domain for all teachers and other stakeholders. It is always a great concern, whether or not learners accept and absorb the target language. They may find it useless or unnecessary, even though the course books or classroom activities exposed them to it. This study reports on the measures on the perceptions of Turkish EFL Learners toward the target language culture. It examines the meaning of culture; whether it is important to have knowledge and information on the target language culture; and the advantages and drawbacks of learning the target language culture to make the questions in the minds clear. The study involved 20 EFL learners at a university in Turkey. It used in-depth interviews with the participants, and attempted to identify the learner’s perceptions concerning the target culture. The research results show that the participants’ perceptions on the target culture var...

The present study aims to determine self-perceptions of three groups of adult EFL learners on lan... more The present study aims to determine self-perceptions of three groups of adult EFL learners on language learning strategies and evaluate the relationship between variables such as gender and age of the learners, their level, type of the high schools the learners graduated, and the strategies used by the students in the foreign language learning process. In order to gather data, “Strategy Inventory for Language Learning” (SILL) questionnaire developed by Oxford was applied to 185 randomly-selected participants attending in preparatory classes at Pamukkale University from different levels ranging from elementary to intermediate levels. Overall findings indicate that adult EFL learners have a moderate use of language learning strategies, and the highest strategy use is meta-cognitive strategies, while the lowest strategy used by the participants is affective strategy. On the other hand, it can be concluded from the research that as the proficiency level of the learners rises, their strategy use rises, as well. Although there is no meaningful difference between female and male learners, the results regarding with high schools the learners graduated have a meaningful difference.

Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2013

The aim of this study is to provide some evidence about the special field competencies of Non-nat... more The aim of this study is to provide some evidence about the special field competencies of Non-native English instructors in a state university and evaluate these competencies in terms of various variables. In the study, data was competencies identified by the Ministry of Education (MOE). The scale is a five-item Likert-type scale consisting of 34 items. The population of the study consisted of non-native 32 non-native English instructors at Pamukkale University. The results of the study showed that the general self-perceptions of the instructors is high, however, the departments graduated and the academic level of the instructors may effect the self-perception level.

Pamukkale University Journal of Education, 2012

This study aims to explore the attitudes and perceptions of the students and instructors towards ... more This study aims to explore the attitudes and perceptions of the students and instructors towards the speaking test at a School of Foreign Languages. For this purpose, the data were collected through questionnaires delivered to two groups of participants. The first group was composed of 210 students who were asked to assess their perceptions and attitudes about the speaking test as pre-, while and post-tests. The second group was composed of 32 instructors who were given a questionnaire to find out their attitudes and perceptions towards the rating scale, the materials, and the procedure followed during the test and the assessment period. The students were in two levels ranging from pre-intermediate to intermediate in the preparatory program from different faculties. Our data revealed that most of the students had no experience of any speaking test before, and therefore, they had higher anxiety during the test. Among the students, the speaking test was regarded as the most difficult test when compared to the testing of other language skills. Students pointed out that they could not express themselves adequately during the test, and claimed that they needed to have more oral practice in the classroom. On the other hand, the instructors emphasized that the speaking test was the most difficult one to apply and assess, however, the scale and rubrics were adequate enough to assess the students' oral performance.

A Qualitative Study on Listening Skills in Turkish EFL Classes, 2023

study focuses on pedagogical implications and evaluation of listening skills in an English as a F... more study focuses on pedagogical implications and evaluation of listening skills in an English
as a Foreign Language context. In this sense, this study aims to investigate i) whether listening skills
are considered as important as the other receptive and productive skills, ii) EFL teachers’ perspectives
on motivation levels of learners towards listening in the target language, iii) whether teachers feel
competent enough to teach listening skills, and iv) whether listening skills are evaluated in EFL classes.
The participants of the study consisted of 45 teachers, and the data were gathered through a semistructured
interview form which was prepared by the researchers. The findings reveal that teaching
listening skills is mostly ignored in Turkey, teachers believe that learners have low motivation while
learning listening skills in English, and most of the teachers who participated in the study feel
competent in teaching listening skills; however, in teaching and testing listening, they have some
concerns. Lastly, the findings reveal that testing listening skills are mostly ignored in Türkiye.

AN INVESTIGATION INTO GRAMMATICAL AND PRAGMATIC AWARENESS OF PROSPECTIVE ENGLISH TEACHERS , 2023

The main goal of this study is to investigate the perceived degree of grammatical and pragmatic a... more The main goal of this study is to investigate the perceived degree of grammatical and pragmatic awareness of the freshman and senior students at English Language Teaching (ELT) Department. With this aim, the participants were chosen randomly from freshman (N=26) and senior (N=22) students. This study adopted a quantitative research design by gathering data from discourse completion tasks (DCT) involving twenty different discourse completion tasks and scenarios including four speech acts: requests, apologies, suggestions, and refusals. Firstly, Shapiro-Wilk test was used to test the normality. Secondly, Mann-Whitney U tests were run for the data analysis of DCT. Thirdly, to compare two groups, which are freshmen and senior students in this study, and to discover the degree of awareness in grammar and pragmatics as well as perceptions for the severity of errors in DCT scenarios in two groups, Spearman's rho test of correlation was conducted. The statistical findings revealed that there is no significant difference between freshman and senior students with respect to their degree of grammatical and pragmatic awareness. However, students were found to have significantly higher degree of pragmatic awareness than grammatical awareness. In addition, students rated pragmatic errors as more severe than the grammatical ones. These findings might be related with the ELT curriculum. The courses they take such as Oral Communication Skills and World Englishes and Culture might have raised their pragmatic awareness and shifted their focus from grammar towards communicative and pragmatic aspect of language. The overall results of the study has a number of pedagogical implications for language learning and teaching.

An Investigation into Teaching English to Gifted Individuals: Giving Voice to Turkish EFL Teachers, 2023

Foreign language learning process of gifted individuals plays a critical role in both their self-... more Foreign language learning process of gifted individuals plays a critical role in both their self-development and academic life. However, EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teachers may encounter various challenges while teaching to gifted individuals. The purpose of the present research is to reveal the opinions of EFL teachers in Science and Art Centers (SACs) on the challenges they encounter in teaching English, find out possible sources for these difficulties, and their solutions and recommendations. In total, 21 EFL teachers working in different SACs in Turkiye participated in the study. The data were collected through a semi-structured interview based on three main themes: a) the challenges the participants have faced, b) the participants' views on the source of these problems, and c) their suggested strategies to cope with the mentioned challenges. Content analysis was carried out to analyze the data. The qualitative findings demonstrated that the EFL teachers experienced similar challenges including the lack of an established curriculum, insufficient educational technological equipments and appropriate materials for language teaching, having students with different levels of English proficiency in the same groups, and having long working hours.

Mehmet Akif Ersoy Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 2023

The purpose of this study is to find out the impact of a digital storytelling program, DigiFlyer.... more The purpose of this study is to find out the impact of a digital storytelling program, DigiFlyer. This intervention program aimed to improve the listening comprehension and performance of EFL young learners (n = 31). In this experimental study, digital stories were both adapted and created to improve their performance on Cambridge YLE (Young Learners English) listening part. It was critical to establish a link between digital storytelling and achievement performance of young learners in a standardized English test. The current study handled a quasi-experimental research methodology to collect data from participants, employing both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. The results showed that DigiFlyer had a positive effect on participants' achievement scores in listening. Furthermore, there were significant improvements in their motivation, enthusiasm, and their self-confidence towards listening in English.

Van Yüzüncü Yıl University Journal of Education, 2023

Shyness appears as an important factor affecting teachers', pre-service teachers' and students' p... more Shyness appears as an important factor affecting teachers', pre-service teachers' and students' performance, productivity, creativity and how teachers handle classroom management situations in the classroom environment. In this context, the purpose of the research is to unveil teacher and student shyness and teachers' classroom management strategies in the field of foreign language teaching and suggest new avenues for the investigation of the differences among teachers' classroom management strategies in terms of teacher and student shyness. Participants were 99 pre-service English teachers attending a state university in Turkey. Participants completed a shyness scale measuring their shyness levels and responded to hypothetical vignettes depicting different hypothetical students. The data gathered were analyzed through ANOVA, and the findings revealed that pre-service English teachers' high-powered strategy usage showed evidence of a meaningful difference depending on student shyness, student gender, teacher gender, the interaction of student shyness and student gender and the interaction of student shyness and teacher shyness while social learning strategies indicated a significant difference depending on student shyness and the interaction between student shyness and student gender. Findings are discussed in detail in terms of the implications for all stakeholders including institutions, policy makers, teacher candidates and researchers.

International Journal of Curriculum and Instruction, 2023

This study evaluated EFL Teachers' Perceptions and Experiences on Cambridge Young Learners (YLE) ... more This study evaluated EFL Teachers' Perceptions and Experiences on Cambridge Young Learners (YLE) Exams. The study aims to investigate Turkish EFL teachers' perceptions of the general implementation process of Cambridge YLE Exams and their knowledge, experience, and institutional expertise on these tests. A qualitative research design was utilized in the study. The participants included 24 EFL teachers who work in private and state schools and were determined with maximum diversity sampling method that ensures a wide variety of participants. Research data were collected through a semi-structured interview form developed by the researcher. The data obtained as a result of the interviews were analyzed by the content analysis method. The findings highlight the three core views on standardized testing. First, Turkish EFL teachers had positive perceptions towards Cambridge YLE exams, yet they had a very limited experience and expertise in Cambridge YLE exams. Secondly, they had concerns about low learner proficiency levels, the cost of these tests, and the gap between standardized tests and the testing system in the local context. Lastly, it was evident that while some institutions prepared their learners and provided parental guidance for such standardized tests, others fell behind these institutions. This study addresses the research gap in the limited understanding of standardized testing from teachers' perspectives and provides some critical implications. The first implication is that assessment literacy, teachers' experiences towards these tests, and classroom assessment practices of Turkish EFL teachers should be improved through in-service or pre-service teacher training, and secondly, the testing system in Turkey should be redesigned to adapt to the standardized tests used globally.

RumeliDE Dil ve Edebiyat Araştırmaları Dergisi, Jun 21, 2022

Yabancı dil sınıflarında İngilizce konuşma kaygısı üzerine bir derleme çalışması / D. Höl & Y. Ka... more Yabancı dil sınıflarında İngilizce konuşma kaygısı üzerine bir derleme çalışması / D. Höl & Y. Kasımi

Speaking is a productive skill for the learners and it is doubtless a must to communicate for the... more Speaking is a productive skill for the learners and it is doubtless a must to communicate for the learners learning English as a second language. As multilingualism gained importance throughout the world, testing speaking skills took its place in many institutions and universities for the past few decades; however, it requires a lot of difficulties to administer a valid and reliable test. As a result of this, sometimes having the real validity and reliability may be difficult in speaking tests

IGI Global eBooks, Jan 13, 2023

International Journal of Educational Spectrum

Foreign language learning process of gifted individuals plays a critical role in both their self-... more Foreign language learning process of gifted individuals plays a critical role in both their self-development and academic life. However, EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teachers may encounter various challenges while teaching to gifted individuals. The purpose of the present research is to reveal the opinions of EFL teachers in Science and Art Centers (SACs) on the challenges they encounter in teaching English, find out possible sources for these difficulties, and their solutions and recommendations. In total, 21 EFL teachers working in different SACs in Turkiye participated in the study. The data were collected through a semi-structured interview based on three main themes: a) the challenges the participants have faced, b) the participants’ views on the source of these problems, and c) their suggested strategies to cope with the mentioned challenges. Content analysis was carried out to analyze the data. The qualitative findings demonstrated that the EFL teachers experienced sim...

Mehmet Akif Ersoy Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi

The purpose of this study is to find out the impact of DigiFlyers, a digital storytelling program... more The purpose of this study is to find out the impact of DigiFlyers, a digital storytelling program, on the listening comprehension and performance of young learners. It was critical to establish validity and reliability by examining the data from a variety of perspectives, the current study used a quasi-experimental research methodology to collect data from participants, employing both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. As quantitative data, participants' pre- and post-test results in Cambridge's YLE (Young Learners English) tests, Flyers, and the exam's listening portion were studied. After the pre-test, the experimental group was given DigiFlyers for eight weeks to see how it improved their listening comprehension and performance on the Flyers test for young English learners. The study's findings show a clear link between DigiFlyers and improved learners' listening skills in the Flyers test. In addition, participants were interviewed at the conclusion o...

Avrasya Uluslararası Araştırmalar Dergisi, 2020

The main purpose of the study was to investigate a) the self-efficacy level of learners of Englis... more The main purpose of the study was to investigate a) the self-efficacy level of learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) in the process of learning English, b) whether their selfefficacy levels differ according to variables, such as proficiency levels and gender. It also targets c) to explore how self-efficient EFL learners are in terms of listening, reading, writing, and speaking skills. In addition, the study also aims at d) investigating whether there is a relationship between the self-efficacy level of Turkish EFL learners and their academic achievement. The setting of the study is a preparatory program. This study was implemented with 525 students enrolled at a state university in Turkey and carried out during the spring semester of the 2016-2017 academic year. The study followed a mixed-method design; first, quantitative data was collected through a questionnaire, "Questionnaire of English Selfefficacy", developed by Açıkel (2011) and adapted by the researcher. The results of the questionnaire were analysed via Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 22.0. Secondly, semi-structured interviews, whose protocol was developed by the researcher, with randomly selected 24 participants were carried out to assist the quantitative data with the qualitative one.

Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies, 2017

The purpose of this study is to investigate the attributions of Turkish EFL learners on success a... more The purpose of this study is to investigate the attributions of Turkish EFL learners on success and failure in learning English as a foreign language with different variables such as gender and level of English proficiency. To investigate the attributions of the participants and gather the relevant data, a questionnaire including 38 items and semi-structured interview protocol were applied. To analyze the data, SPSS 20.0 was used, and interview protocol was decoded using document analysis. It was revealed from the findings that learners attribute their success and failure to both internal and external attributions; however, they give more priority to internal attributions. Investigating all these concepts will help all the stakeholders to be aware and understand the reasons behind the learners’ success and failure in learning English with different variables including gender, and level of proficiency.

This paper aims to find out the factors affecting the L2 motivation of Turkish EFL learners in a ... more This paper aims to find out the factors affecting the L2 motivation of Turkish EFL learners in a negative way and discover whether gender, type of education and the level of the students have an impact on their motivation. The data gathered from 205 prep-class students at Pamukkale University School of Foreign Languages showed that although there were no differences in the factors in terms of learners’ type of education and the level of English, an important and meaningful difference between male and female learners was found. Based on the findings, the implications of the results and suggestions for future research are discussed.

This paper is an attempt to explore EFL teachers’ opinions about the problems they encounter and ... more This paper is an attempt to explore EFL teachers’ opinions about the problems they encounter and proposals for solutions with regard to the speaking test implemented at a state university in Turkey. The participants were 22 EFL instructors teaching English at a state university in Turkey. The data were gathered through a semi-structured interview form developed by the researcher. The form was developed based on the review of literature. Among the content analysis methods, categorical analysis method and inductive analysis method were used to analyze the data obtained through semi-structured interview form administered to the teachers. T he results were analyzed and discussed in terms of the speaking test and its implications for teaching and learning activities and testing. In the light of the study findings, majority of the teachers thought that time limitation is a factor that affects the validity and reliability of speaking test. In addition, teachers stated that formative asses...

Journal of Educational Issues, 2020

This study aims to investigate the beliefs of Turkish EFL teachers about implementing digital tec... more This study aims to investigate the beliefs of Turkish EFL teachers about implementing digital technology in the classroom and the underlying factors which affect their beliefs. Quantitative research design was selected and online Beliefs Questionnaire was used for data collection. The participants of the study consisted of 563 Turkish in-service EFL teachers working at state schools, private schools or colleges in various parts of Turkey. Descriptive statistics and correlation analysis were performed to determine whether the participants’ four categorized beliefs about the use of digital technology (i.e. importance, use, expertise, and context) interrelated with each other, and if any of the participants’ demographic and background factors (i.e. age, gender, level of education, years of teaching experience) predicted the reported beliefs. The results indicated that teachers shared positive views on the use of digital technology in EFL classrooms in terms of importance, use, expertis...

CBU International Conference Proceedings, 2015

What students in EFL classes think and feel about the target language culture has always been in ... more What students in EFL classes think and feel about the target language culture has always been in a great domain for all teachers and other stakeholders. It is always a great concern, whether or not learners accept and absorb the target language. They may find it useless or unnecessary, even though the course books or classroom activities exposed them to it. This study reports on the measures on the perceptions of Turkish EFL Learners toward the target language culture. It examines the meaning of culture; whether it is important to have knowledge and information on the target language culture; and the advantages and drawbacks of learning the target language culture to make the questions in the minds clear. The study involved 20 EFL learners at a university in Turkey. It used in-depth interviews with the participants, and attempted to identify the learner’s perceptions concerning the target culture. The research results show that the participants’ perceptions on the target culture var...

The present study aims to determine self-perceptions of three groups of adult EFL learners on lan... more The present study aims to determine self-perceptions of three groups of adult EFL learners on language learning strategies and evaluate the relationship between variables such as gender and age of the learners, their level, type of the high schools the learners graduated, and the strategies used by the students in the foreign language learning process. In order to gather data, “Strategy Inventory for Language Learning” (SILL) questionnaire developed by Oxford was applied to 185 randomly-selected participants attending in preparatory classes at Pamukkale University from different levels ranging from elementary to intermediate levels. Overall findings indicate that adult EFL learners have a moderate use of language learning strategies, and the highest strategy use is meta-cognitive strategies, while the lowest strategy used by the participants is affective strategy. On the other hand, it can be concluded from the research that as the proficiency level of the learners rises, their strategy use rises, as well. Although there is no meaningful difference between female and male learners, the results regarding with high schools the learners graduated have a meaningful difference.

Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2013

The aim of this study is to provide some evidence about the special field competencies of Non-nat... more The aim of this study is to provide some evidence about the special field competencies of Non-native English instructors in a state university and evaluate these competencies in terms of various variables. In the study, data was competencies identified by the Ministry of Education (MOE). The scale is a five-item Likert-type scale consisting of 34 items. The population of the study consisted of non-native 32 non-native English instructors at Pamukkale University. The results of the study showed that the general self-perceptions of the instructors is high, however, the departments graduated and the academic level of the instructors may effect the self-perception level.

Pamukkale University Journal of Education, 2012

This study aims to explore the attitudes and perceptions of the students and instructors towards ... more This study aims to explore the attitudes and perceptions of the students and instructors towards the speaking test at a School of Foreign Languages. For this purpose, the data were collected through questionnaires delivered to two groups of participants. The first group was composed of 210 students who were asked to assess their perceptions and attitudes about the speaking test as pre-, while and post-tests. The second group was composed of 32 instructors who were given a questionnaire to find out their attitudes and perceptions towards the rating scale, the materials, and the procedure followed during the test and the assessment period. The students were in two levels ranging from pre-intermediate to intermediate in the preparatory program from different faculties. Our data revealed that most of the students had no experience of any speaking test before, and therefore, they had higher anxiety during the test. Among the students, the speaking test was regarded as the most difficult test when compared to the testing of other language skills. Students pointed out that they could not express themselves adequately during the test, and claimed that they needed to have more oral practice in the classroom. On the other hand, the instructors emphasized that the speaking test was the most difficult one to apply and assess, however, the scale and rubrics were adequate enough to assess the students' oral performance.

A Qualitative Study on Listening Skills in Turkish EFL Classes, 2023

study focuses on pedagogical implications and evaluation of listening skills in an English as a F... more study focuses on pedagogical implications and evaluation of listening skills in an English
as a Foreign Language context. In this sense, this study aims to investigate i) whether listening skills
are considered as important as the other receptive and productive skills, ii) EFL teachers’ perspectives
on motivation levels of learners towards listening in the target language, iii) whether teachers feel
competent enough to teach listening skills, and iv) whether listening skills are evaluated in EFL classes.
The participants of the study consisted of 45 teachers, and the data were gathered through a semistructured
interview form which was prepared by the researchers. The findings reveal that teaching
listening skills is mostly ignored in Turkey, teachers believe that learners have low motivation while
learning listening skills in English, and most of the teachers who participated in the study feel
competent in teaching listening skills; however, in teaching and testing listening, they have some
concerns. Lastly, the findings reveal that testing listening skills are mostly ignored in Türkiye.

AN INVESTIGATION INTO GRAMMATICAL AND PRAGMATIC AWARENESS OF PROSPECTIVE ENGLISH TEACHERS , 2023

The main goal of this study is to investigate the perceived degree of grammatical and pragmatic a... more The main goal of this study is to investigate the perceived degree of grammatical and pragmatic awareness of the freshman and senior students at English Language Teaching (ELT) Department. With this aim, the participants were chosen randomly from freshman (N=26) and senior (N=22) students. This study adopted a quantitative research design by gathering data from discourse completion tasks (DCT) involving twenty different discourse completion tasks and scenarios including four speech acts: requests, apologies, suggestions, and refusals. Firstly, Shapiro-Wilk test was used to test the normality. Secondly, Mann-Whitney U tests were run for the data analysis of DCT. Thirdly, to compare two groups, which are freshmen and senior students in this study, and to discover the degree of awareness in grammar and pragmatics as well as perceptions for the severity of errors in DCT scenarios in two groups, Spearman's rho test of correlation was conducted. The statistical findings revealed that there is no significant difference between freshman and senior students with respect to their degree of grammatical and pragmatic awareness. However, students were found to have significantly higher degree of pragmatic awareness than grammatical awareness. In addition, students rated pragmatic errors as more severe than the grammatical ones. These findings might be related with the ELT curriculum. The courses they take such as Oral Communication Skills and World Englishes and Culture might have raised their pragmatic awareness and shifted their focus from grammar towards communicative and pragmatic aspect of language. The overall results of the study has a number of pedagogical implications for language learning and teaching.

An Investigation into Teaching English to Gifted Individuals: Giving Voice to Turkish EFL Teachers, 2023

Foreign language learning process of gifted individuals plays a critical role in both their self-... more Foreign language learning process of gifted individuals plays a critical role in both their self-development and academic life. However, EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teachers may encounter various challenges while teaching to gifted individuals. The purpose of the present research is to reveal the opinions of EFL teachers in Science and Art Centers (SACs) on the challenges they encounter in teaching English, find out possible sources for these difficulties, and their solutions and recommendations. In total, 21 EFL teachers working in different SACs in Turkiye participated in the study. The data were collected through a semi-structured interview based on three main themes: a) the challenges the participants have faced, b) the participants' views on the source of these problems, and c) their suggested strategies to cope with the mentioned challenges. Content analysis was carried out to analyze the data. The qualitative findings demonstrated that the EFL teachers experienced similar challenges including the lack of an established curriculum, insufficient educational technological equipments and appropriate materials for language teaching, having students with different levels of English proficiency in the same groups, and having long working hours.

Mehmet Akif Ersoy Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 2023

The purpose of this study is to find out the impact of a digital storytelling program, DigiFlyer.... more The purpose of this study is to find out the impact of a digital storytelling program, DigiFlyer. This intervention program aimed to improve the listening comprehension and performance of EFL young learners (n = 31). In this experimental study, digital stories were both adapted and created to improve their performance on Cambridge YLE (Young Learners English) listening part. It was critical to establish a link between digital storytelling and achievement performance of young learners in a standardized English test. The current study handled a quasi-experimental research methodology to collect data from participants, employing both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. The results showed that DigiFlyer had a positive effect on participants' achievement scores in listening. Furthermore, there were significant improvements in their motivation, enthusiasm, and their self-confidence towards listening in English.

Van Yüzüncü Yıl University Journal of Education, 2023

Shyness appears as an important factor affecting teachers', pre-service teachers' and students' p... more Shyness appears as an important factor affecting teachers', pre-service teachers' and students' performance, productivity, creativity and how teachers handle classroom management situations in the classroom environment. In this context, the purpose of the research is to unveil teacher and student shyness and teachers' classroom management strategies in the field of foreign language teaching and suggest new avenues for the investigation of the differences among teachers' classroom management strategies in terms of teacher and student shyness. Participants were 99 pre-service English teachers attending a state university in Turkey. Participants completed a shyness scale measuring their shyness levels and responded to hypothetical vignettes depicting different hypothetical students. The data gathered were analyzed through ANOVA, and the findings revealed that pre-service English teachers' high-powered strategy usage showed evidence of a meaningful difference depending on student shyness, student gender, teacher gender, the interaction of student shyness and student gender and the interaction of student shyness and teacher shyness while social learning strategies indicated a significant difference depending on student shyness and the interaction between student shyness and student gender. Findings are discussed in detail in terms of the implications for all stakeholders including institutions, policy makers, teacher candidates and researchers.

International Journal of Curriculum and Instruction, 2023

This study evaluated EFL Teachers' Perceptions and Experiences on Cambridge Young Learners (YLE) ... more This study evaluated EFL Teachers' Perceptions and Experiences on Cambridge Young Learners (YLE) Exams. The study aims to investigate Turkish EFL teachers' perceptions of the general implementation process of Cambridge YLE Exams and their knowledge, experience, and institutional expertise on these tests. A qualitative research design was utilized in the study. The participants included 24 EFL teachers who work in private and state schools and were determined with maximum diversity sampling method that ensures a wide variety of participants. Research data were collected through a semi-structured interview form developed by the researcher. The data obtained as a result of the interviews were analyzed by the content analysis method. The findings highlight the three core views on standardized testing. First, Turkish EFL teachers had positive perceptions towards Cambridge YLE exams, yet they had a very limited experience and expertise in Cambridge YLE exams. Secondly, they had concerns about low learner proficiency levels, the cost of these tests, and the gap between standardized tests and the testing system in the local context. Lastly, it was evident that while some institutions prepared their learners and provided parental guidance for such standardized tests, others fell behind these institutions. This study addresses the research gap in the limited understanding of standardized testing from teachers' perspectives and provides some critical implications. The first implication is that assessment literacy, teachers' experiences towards these tests, and classroom assessment practices of Turkish EFL teachers should be improved through in-service or pre-service teacher training, and secondly, the testing system in Turkey should be redesigned to adapt to the standardized tests used globally.