Theses supervised by Yrd. Doç. Dr. Julie Mathews-aydınlı
10 theses · İhsan Doğramacı Bilkent University
Tümevarım ve tümdengelim yaklaşımlarının yazılı çıktı üzerindeki etkisi
The present study explored the effects of inductive grammar instruction and deductive grammar instruction on the acquisition of conditionals and relative clauses in three aspects: written production, i. e. grammar accuracy in writing tasks, grammar test scores and students' and the instructor's perspectives. The study was carried out with 38 intermediate level EFL (English as a Foreign Language) students. During a four-week period, one instructor taught grammar to two groups. In the inductive group, the students worked on consciousness-raising tasks to discover the meanings and rules of the target grammatical structures. Later, they received feedback from the instructor. In the deductive group, the instructor explained the meanings and the rules of the target grammatical structures directly. The grammar pre and post-test scores did not reveal a statistically significant difference between the scores of the two groups. Furthermore, there was not a statistically significant difference between the writing tasks of the two groups in terms of grammar accuracy. The questionnaire administered in the inductive group implied that the learners generally had positive perspectives on inductive learning. The interview conducted with the instructor revealed that she regarded inductive approach as a more interactive but less practical way of teaching. Nevertheless, she preferred inductive teaching on condition that the students were motivated and the target structures were new to them. In light of these findings, teachers and material developers might consider involving both approaches in their practices and work in order to ensure variety. Keywords: inductive grammar instruction, deductive grammar instruction, consciousness-raising tas
Tıp öğrencilerinin İngilizce dil gereksinimlerinin analizi
This study aimed at finding out the academic and professional English language needs of medical students in an EFL context, from the perspectives of administrators, currently enrolled students, and academicians, in order to contribute to the process of English for medical purposes curriculum development. Data were collected via questionnaires which were designed to compare the perceptions of the currently enrolled students and the academicians at the medical faculty of a Turkish-medium university. An interview was held with the Dean of the Medical Faculty to better obtain information about perceptions of the administration towards the English language needs of the medical students and their expectations from the English classes. The questionnaire data were analyzed quantitatively, and the interview data were analyzed qualitatively. The main results of the study revealed that medical students studying in Turkish-medium contexts primarily need to improve their English reading skills in order to do research for their problem-based learning classes. In addition to English reading skills, medical students regard speaking skills and an interactive way of learning English in groups as very important. This finding indicates a changing trend in the students? perceptions of their foreign language needs in comparison with the previous needs analyses of English language needs in medical contexts. The overall findings of this study revealed that there is a need to increase the class hours, provide technological equipment, and appoint trained instructors for the efficient teaching of medical English.
Öğrencilerin ve öğretmenlerin etkileşim tiplerine karşı tutumları
This thesis investigated the perceptions of students at various proficiency levels and their teachers toward interaction types used in language classes, exploring students? and teachers? affective reactions to interaction types, along with their impressions of these interaction types? effectiveness as learning tools. The study was conducted with the participation of 238 students from various proficiency levels (two classes from each level), and their Speaking-Listening course teachers at Anadolu University, School of Foreign Languages in the spring semester of 2007. The data were gathered through perception questionnaires and interviews. The analysis of the quantitative and qualitative data revealed that students and their teachers perceived group work as a more effective learning tool, and they had more have positive affective reactions to this interaction type than whole-class teaching, which suggested that students and their teachers had tendencies towards learner-centered learning. Moreover, there was no significant difference of perception across the proficiency levels, and opinions of students did not clash with those of their teachers to a great extent. This study implied that group work is an effective and enjoyable interaction type, which should be employed more frequently in addition to whole-class teaching in language classes. Further, it suggested that group work can become more effectively and smoothly implemented at all levels if students receive strategy training on group work.
Öğrencilerin kompozisyon yazımında geri bildirim tercihlerindeki değişimin araştırılması
This study was designed to investigate students? and teachers? writing preferences, and whether students change their writing feedback preferences over a given period of time, and if so, whether there is an effect of the teachers? feedback style in their change. The study was conducted with 200 pre-intermediate students and 11 teachers at Istanbul Technical University School of Foreign Languages. The data were collected through the students? and teachers? questionnaires, students? writing papers, and students? interviews. The results indicated that many students changed their writing feedback preferences over time. This change was not due to their teachers? feedback styles, but due to the students? self-consciousness of their development in their second language writing skill. The study suggests that teachers should first pay attention to their students? feedback preferences, negotiate with students about their feedback styles, and then they should arrange their feedback style accordingly. The study also suggests that teachers should consider using various feedback styles according to students? needs and development levels.
Türkiye'deki üniversite hazırlık sınıfı öğrencilerinin geçmiş yabancı dil öğrenim deneyimleri ile yabancı dil kaygıları arasındaki ilişki
This study mainly investigated the relationship between past language learning experiences and the foreign language anxiety levels of university EFL learners. It also aimed to find out the extent to which language learning background factors have an impact on foreign language anxiety. The study was conducted in the English preparatory programs at Bilkent and Pamukkale Universities, with the participation of 285 students from three proficiency levels (pre-intermediate, intermediate and upper-intermediate).Data were collected through questionnaires and interviews. The questionnaire administered to students included two main sections. In the first section, demographic information about the participants was collected. In the second section, the translation of the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) questionnaire by Horwitz, Horwitz & Cope, 1986 was given to the participants. Questionnaires were analyzed by using t-tests and ANOVA tests. Afterwards, using the results of the analyses involved in the quantitative part, participants who demonstrated high and low levels of anxiety were selected for participation in the qualitative phase. Through the use of in-depth interviews, actual accounts of past language learning experiences and university students? current anxiety levels were explored.The analysis of the quantitative data revealed that students? prior history of visiting countries, having had a native teacher, having studied another language besides English were all related to the prediction of foreign language anxiety.The interview results showed that for both high and low anxiety students the role of previous language learning experiences has an impact on forming their current anxiety levels.
Türkiye'deki üniversite hazırlık okullarındaki portfolyo uygulamaları ve öğretmenlerin portfolyoyu algılamaları ve portfolyo uygulamalarında yaşanan problemler
This study seeks to investigate portfolio implementation at Turkish university preparatory schools and the reported aims of portfolio use as targeted by these schools. The study further examines teachers? perceptions of portfolio use, specifically, the problems they experience with portfolio use, possible sources of these problems and their suggestions on how portfolio use can be improved.The study was conducted in two phases. In the first phase, data on portfolio use and aims of its use were collected through a questionnaire administered at seven university preparatory schools. In the second phase, data on teachers? perceptions were gathered through a second questionnaire administered to 126 teachers at five of the seven preparatory schools.The results reached in the first phase of the study revealed that portfolios are mainly used for the writing component of the preparatory programs. The analyses of the data also revealed that certain key features of portfolios, such as student participation in the selection of portfolio content, self assessment, and student reflection, are not generally included in portfolios at preparatory programs. Regarding the aims of portfolio use targeted by schools, the results indicate that in order to achieve the intended aims, the missing key elements of portfolios should be included.The results reached in the second phase of the study indicate that teachers perceive portfolios as an appropriate tool for assessment purposes. When the results regarding teachers? experiences with portfolio use are examined, the outcomes indicate that the problems experienced with portfolio use are in large part felt to be related to students? attitudes towards portfolios, which are themselves caused by students? study habits and previous educational backgrounds. It was also revealed that problems related to portfolio entries and institutional practices create some challenges in portfolio implementation at schools.
İngilizce yazma dersi sınıflarında yazma öncesi tartışma aktivitelerinde anadil ve yabancı dil kullanımı ve öğrencilerin yazma öncesi tartışma aktivitelerinde anadil ve yabancı dil kullanımına yönelik tutumları
This study investigated the effectiveness of the use of L1 and L2 in prewriting discussion on EFL students? writing quality. The study also examined students? attitudes towards prewriting discussions in general, and having prewriting discussions in L1 and L2 in particular.Data were collected in three phases with 30 sophomore Kurdish native speaker students in the English Language Department at Koya University in the north of Iraq. In the first phase, the students wrote four essays after prewriting discussions in either their native language (Kurdish) or their second language (English). In the study, the students wrote two essays in the first and fourth week after L1 discussions and they also wrote two essays in the second and third weeks after having L2 discussions. In the second step, data were collected through a questionnaire which focused on the students? attitudes towards prewriting discussion in general and the use of L1 and L2 in particular. Then, according to their writing test scores, four participants were chosen (two with the highest and two with the lowest scores) and interviewed in order to know their in-depth feelings and attitudes towards prewriting discussions and using L1 and L2 in prewriting discussions in EFL writing classes.The findings showed that the participants wrote better essays after the L2 prewriting discussions than after the L1 discussions. The findings also showed that the students generally responded positively to prewriting discussions as an effective technique in EFL writing classes; however they had mixed feelings about some points relating to the language choice in prewriting discussions. In other words, some of the participants believed that L2 use was more useful for English major students as they need to learn English, while other participants believed that the language choice in prewriting discussions should be determined according to students? level of second language proficiency. In brief, the results indicated that English language students should use the second language in all speaking class activities in all levels in order to help them learn English better, but lower level students should be allowed to use their native language when they cannot fully express their ideas in English.Finally, this study presents some pedagogical recommendations such as using prewriting discussions together with other techniques in the second language writing process. It also recommends that the use of L1 alongside L2 in prewriting discussions should be allowed among EFL students, especially lower level students, in order to help them participate in class activities and make them feel less anxious while expressing their ideas, and also to help them to better understand the topics and improve their writing performance.Key words: prewriting discussions, English as a foreign language, Kurdish, student attitudes, writing process.
Mesleğin ilk yıllarındaki öğretmenlerle deneyimli öğretmenlerin soru sorma teknikleri arasındaki farklar
This study explored the difference between novice and experienced university teachers? questioning techniques in terms of the number and types of questions they ask, the amount of wait time they give, and feedback they provide to students? answers. I conducted the study with five novice and five experienced English teachers at Bilkent University School of English Language (BUSEL) and Middle East Technical University (METU) Department of Basic English.I collected the data through 20 classroom observations. I observed and audio-recorded each teacher twice in order to reduce the novelty effect. Also, I filled in a checklist, which enabled me to have a structured focus while collecting and analyzing the data. To analyze the data, I transcribed the question-answer episodes of the recordings and carried out priori coding. Novice and experienced teachers? data were compared both quantitatively and qualitatively.The findings revealed that novice and experienced teachers differed in their questioning techniques in some aspects quantitatively, in some aspects qualitatively. The results also showed the distinction between training and experience since they were both found to be influential in teachers? questioning behaviors. It was discovered that while some questioning habits could be developed via experience, some of them were learned via training.The results may call teachers? and teacher trainers? attention to the effect of experience on teachers? questioning techniques. Also, thanks to the findings of the present study, teachers? awareness of the influence of their questioning behaviors on the students? interaction in the target language may be raised. Lastly, administrators and teacher trainers can arrange in-service training programs to make teachers aware of the latest techniques and methods in language teaching, and they can hold regular meetings to enable teachers to share their experiences.
Sınıfta yazmak ya da evde yazmak
This study investigated the influence of writing context on the quality of students` writing assignments and composing processes. The study also examined the attitudes of students towards writing assignments composed in class and at home. The study was conducted with 48 pre-intermediate level students, two experimental groups, and their composing skill class teacher in the Preparatory School of English at Niğde University in the spring semester of 2010.The data for the study were gathered through student questionnaires, interviews conducted with the students and written assignments of the participants. A four-week exploratory study was conducted with the participation of the experimental groups, which were assigned to write the same topics but in two different writing contexts. The participants` written assignments were collected each week and were scored by two raters. During the implementation, the interviews were conducted with the participants from both groups. The student questionnaire was distributed after the fourth week of experimental study.The results of the students` scores for written assignments revealed no significant differences across the groups. However, the data gathered from the questionnaire illustrated a significantly higher preference for the home context. The analysis of the qualitative data collected from the interviews supported this preference and suggested that the students were more positive towards out-of-school writing tasks.
Öğretmenler ve araştırma: İngilizce'nin yabancı dil olarak öğretildiği bir ortamda tutum ve davranışlar üzerine bir olgu araştırması
This study focuses on attitudes towards research at the Department of Basic English (DBE) at Middle East Technical University (METU). The study is based on the understanding that using research as a tool, teachers can construct knowledge through interaction and collaboration with teacher educators, and colleagues. Achieving a research mindset is an important step towards an accurate evaluation of matters related to the immediate school context as well as to the social context at large. In this study, teachers? involvement in and with research activities and their cognitive, affective and behavioral attitudes were explored. Teacher educators? and administrators? attitudes were also investigated to reveal whether teachers? needs and expectations are met by the current support mechanisms and whether their views on teachers? research activities are congruent with each other. The participants of the study were 134 teachers, four administrators and four teacher educators working at the DBE. I collected quantitative and qualitative data with questionnaires, interviews and institutional documents, which were later analyzed and interpreted. Evidence suggests that teachers at the DBE, though positive in their feelings and ideas about research, are not inclined to be actively involved in research projects. The major reasons cited for this were a perceived lack of relevance of research in teaching and lack of time. The administrators consider research as a necessary tool to improve curricular activities; however, the support provided does not correspond to the needs. Likewise, teacher educators, who value research as a tool for professional development, are bound by the school policies and a tight timeframe to offer more. I offer research as a tool in a constructivist manner: a tool for constructing new meanings and improvement in all matters related to teaching and learning. To achieve this, special interest groups could be set up to investigate common academic issues, teachers experienced in research activities could collaborate with other teachers who are willing to take part in such activities and school policies could be planned to provide encouragement and motivation for teachers to get involved in and with research.