International Association of Educators   |  ISSN: 1308-951X

Volume 8 Issue 3 (September 2017)

Original Articles

The Application of DDL for Teaching Preposition Collocations to Turkish EFL Learners

Ali Şükrü Özbay & Oğuzhan Olgun

pp. 1 - 10

Abstract

It is an old consensus by now that the presentation of corpus findings in the form of concordances in the language classroom may be an important factor for the EFL learners in their efforts to learn collocation of prepositions as part of their language instruction. It is also the case that corpus based materials may help learners to develop their competences in using prepositional collocations in different levels of language proficiency. Finally, evaluating the extent of correspondence between L1 and L2 in preposition collocations is a topic deserving immediate focus by the language researchers. For all the purposes stated above, this present study was done with 60 EFL students in Turkey who were chosen on convenience sampling methodology. After determining the participant students` language proficiencies through “English Unlimited Placement Test by Cambridge University Press” the participant students were randomly divided into two groups. A completion task including various preposition collocation exercises was delivered to students as a pre-test. In one group, the participants were given a traditional instruction on prepositions and their collocations. In the second group, a DDL instruction was done with the EFL students by using corpus concordances. Post-test was done again with the subject student in order to measure the effect of this interference. Paired samples t-test was applied in order to measure the possible effects of DDL in the learning of preposition collocations. The findings indicated that the use of preposition collocations varied depending on the language proficiency levels of the students of prepositions showed to be positively correlated with their levels of proficiency. Another finding was that L1 transfer problems regarding the preposition collocations were observed in the students` productions and exercises. 

Keywords: Data-driven Learning, concordance, collocation, prepositions

Determining the Effectiveness of Technology Supported Guided Materials Based on Cognitive Load Theory Principles Related to Solar System

Erdem Kaya, Salih Çepni & Sibel Başoğlu

pp. 11 - 20

Abstract

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of guided materials based on Cognitive Load Theory principles related to solar system on 7th grade students’ performance, cognitive load and instructional efficiency. Semi-experimental research design was used in this study. Main application is carried out with 67 7th grade students and one science and technology teacher in Ordu. Data are obtained with; science test, performance test and Cognitive Load Scale. Science test was used as a pretest to determine the equivalency of the groups. Performance test and Cognitive Load Scale were implemented at the end of the learning session. The quantitative data analyzed with independent samples t-test was used to compare the differences of the experimental and control groups.

It is determined that guided materials based on Cognitive Load Theory principles made significant meaningful effect on students’ performance and cognitive load compared with current instruction program. It was found that; learning environment enriched with animations developed Cognitive Load Theory principles provide the learning environment by having fun, permanent and meaningful learning. Compared to students in the control group, students in the experimental group learned with technology supported guided materials based on Cognitive Load Theory principles have lower cognitive load and it was concluded that they provide more effective learning.

Keywords: Cognitive Load Theory, Cognitive Load, Instructional Efficiency, Animation

Primary School Students' Attitudes Toward Environment

Gökhan Dağdalan & Hacı Mehmet Yeşiltaş

pp. 21 - 26

Abstract

This study aims to determine secondary school students’ attitudes toward environment. Within the research, secondary school students’ attitudes were investigated in terms of the educational status of their parents, genders, incomes of their families and grade point averages. In the study, instant survey method was adopted to determine the situation. The research was carried out in 2016-2017 educational year fall semester in Altınordu county of Ordu. The sample consists of 167 fifth grade students from two different public schools. Data, which consists of the level of the students’ attitudes toward environment, was gained from an environmental attitude scale. The collecting data was analyzed with descriptive analysis method and Independent Samples T Test and One-Way ANOVA tests were used by SPSS 22 packaged software. At the end of the research, it was found out that there were meaningful differences among the points of the students’ attitudes toward environment with respect to the all variables.

Keywords: Environmental education, attitude, fifth grade.

Effects of Data-Driven Learning on Collocational Competence of EFL Learners in a Turkish Context

Ali Şükrü Özbay & Mustafa Özer

pp. 27 - 39

Abstract

This paper aims at investigating the impact of DDL instruction on the collocational development of Turkish EFL learners. Data collection methods include pre-test and post-test of a nine-week explicit instruction. The samples of the study (n: 31) were selected according to purposive sampling methodology and experimental and control groups were created based on the results of the Cambridge CEFR placement test that was administered at the beginning of the study. The experimental group consisted of 15 Turkish EFL learners and were given   training inductively with DDL methods. They were given explicit DDL-based instruction with a focus on the verb and preposition combinations.  The control group consisted of 16 Turkish EFL learners and were given training deductively with non-DDL methods. The data collected were analysed through qualitative and quantitative analysis procedures. The preliminary findings indicated that the DDL group scored better than the non-DDL group in gap filling, error identification and correction tasks. There was statistically no difference in single-sentence writing tasks. Based on the findings of the study, it is possible to emphasize the positive contribution of the explicit teaching of collocations through DDL approach with an emphasis on self-discovery of phrasal verbs within a database of 5 million-word-reader corpus that was compiled by the researchers according to a strict design criteria. The EFL learners who received the explicit instruction clearly stated that they were able to develop themselves in collocational competence after they received concordance-based explicit instruction. 

Keywords: Data-driven learning, Concordance, Learner Autonomy, EFL

The relationship between EFL Teachers’ Burnout and their Students’ Foreign Language Anxiety

Mahsa Rezvani & Sara Rezvani

pp. 40 - 47

Abstract

Effective teaching requires high level of emotional and labor investment compared to other professions, however, teacher burnout and ineffective classroom management and behavior in dealing with students’ misbehavior may have devastating effects on students’ affective status and learning. As a result, the present study was set out to explore the relationship between the level of EFL teachers' burnout and their students' foreign language anxiety. The participants were 97 English language learners and 15 EFL teachers recruited from three language institutes in Mashhad, Iran. All EFL teachers completed Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) while their students responded to the foreign language classroom anxiety (FLCAS) inventory. The results revealed that teachers’ burnout had a positive relationship with students’ foreign language anxiety in general, and communication apprehension and fear of negative evaluation in students had a significant positive relationship with EFL teachers’ emotional exhaustion in particular. Moreover, the results of this study have a number of implications for EFL teachers, educational authorities, and the researchers.

Keywords: Burnout, foreign language anxiety, EFL teachers, EFL learners

Investigation of Graduate Theses in the Field of Child Development and Education in terms of Educational Management

Cengiz Alper Karadağ

pp. 48 - 55

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to provide an analysis of postgraduate dissertations in the field of child development and education in terms of education management.  The data obtained from YOK (National Theses Center) in 2017.  Methodological evaluation approaches has been adopted in the research. The data of the study were obtained through a document review. Content analysis was performed on the data of the study.  According to the results of the research, 37 theses are in the graduate level and 6 of them are on PhD level. A great majority of theses was used quantitative research design, data collection instruments was scale. The samples of these studies generally were consisted of teachers.  Prominent sub-themes are unwanted behaviors, parental attitudes, problem solving, classroom management skills, management of the curriculum, and parent involvement. 

Keywords: Child development and education, early childhood education, pre-school education, education management.