Theses supervised by Prof. Dr. İsmail Hakkı Erten
12 theses · Hacettepe University, Yeditepe University
Exploring directed motivational currents of English as a foreign language learners at the tertiary level through the dynamic systems perspective
Having a grasp of foreign language learners' ebbs and flows patterns and factors of motivation, affective state and effort can be of noteworthy value. This study aims to explore and identify freshman EFL learners' motivational trajectories, signature dynamics, and patterns and factors of ebbs and flows of motivation, affective state, and effort at the tertiary level through dynamic systems perspective. To generate the participant cases of this study, Retrodictive Qualitative Modelling was utilized to obtain the identification of salient learner archetypes among EFL learners at the particular research site. The data collection instruments were motigraph, individual semi-structured interview, bi-weekly reflective journal, follow-up unstructured interview, and final follow-up semistructured interview. The data were then obtained from eight cases representing different motivational, emotional, cognitive, and behavioural archetypes to gain insights from the motivational archetypes of learners who manage to generate a highly intense goal-directed motivation (Directed Motivational Currents- DMC), those who have properties similar to DMC, and those who have different motivational, emotional, cognitive levels but do not experience a DMC. Qualitative data analyses indicated that the trajectories, patterns, signature dynamics, and factors within their motivational systems of the participant cases' motivation, affective state, and effort are unique and highly contextualized. However, both their state spaces are driven by only a certain number of attractor states and also the factors are also in a limited number. The results of this study were discussed in relation to dynamic theories of motivation. Both theoretical and pedagogical implications were provided to call for further research.
Adaptation problems and solutions of novice teachers of English
This study was conducted to explore the adaptation period of novice teachers of English (NTE) in the early years of profession. The study was designed by a qualitative approach in which self-designed survey is used to investigate adaptation problems experienced by NTE, possible solutions and the effects of adaptation period on them. Data were collected from 85 graduates from the Department of English Language Teaching at Hacettepe University in Turkey. Due to the demanding work schedule of participants, (as participants work in different cities), data were collected online, and the link of survey on Google forms was sent via e-mail. The data were analyzed qualitatively through thematic analysis. Results revealed that NTE encountered both professional and social adaptation problems in the early years of their profession. The professional adaptation problems were grouped into six main categories: (1) interpersonal issues, (2) issues with the self-as-a-teacher, (3) teaching procedure issue, (4) student issues, (5) workload issues and (6) institutional issue. The solutions to professional adaptation problems fall into five categories: (1) communication, (2) teacher-related solutions, (3) teaching procedures, (4) job-related solutions and (5) accustomization. Also, this research identified various social adaptation problems participants encountered such as (1) human relations, (2) environmental issues and (3) personal issues. The solutions to social adaptation problems were categorized as (1) adapting, (2) making a difference and (3) own efforts as-a-human. The results of the adaptation period were classified as positive and negative effects. Finally, this study presents pedagogical implications in order to provide NTE with a smooth adaptation period and methodological implications for further studies.
A study into the interplay between first and second language reading motivation and vocabulary development
The present study aimed to examine the cross-linguistic effect of L1 vocabulary, reading motivation and habits on L2 vocabulary, reading motivation and habits. In this respect, proposing a model, the study aims to contribute to the foreign language education and research. Moreover, the study also seeks to contribute to Turkish language studies through illustrating Turkish vocabulary size, reading motivation and habits of university students. With respect to the sample size and data collection tools required by the complex theoretical model proposed, the study employed a quantitative survey research design. The data was collected through vocabulary size tests, reading motivational scales and reading habits questionnaires from a total of 490 participants from the four different state universities. As the complex theoretical model suggested, the model proposed in the study was analyzed with PLS-SEM technique. The results revealed that L1 vocabulary size and reading efficacy were the two predictors of L2 vocabulary size; however, L1 vocabulary size was the best predictor. Whereas L1 reading habits explained L1 vocabulary size, L2 reading habits did not predict L2 vocabulary size. Although participants' most highly endorsed reading motivational dispositions in L1 and L2 were different, only intrinsic reading motivation explained reading habits in L1 and L2. Moreover, L1 reading motivation and habits significantly predicted L2 reading motivation and habits. In this respect, the study suggests that L1 vocabulary size and reading habits are important in the development of L2 vocabulary size and reading habits.
Possible effects of employing video recording as a self-monitoring tool on pre-service EFL teachers' reflectivity and teaching knowledge
The overall aim of the research study is to explore the potential effects of training and implementing video recording and analysis on pre-service teachers' professional development as a self-monitoring tool in an ELT pre-service teacher education context in Turkey. More specifically, the study seeks to observe any promising changes in pre-service EFL teachers' reflectivity levels and their competencies in terms of their knowledge regarding lesson planning, selection and make use of language teaching resources, teachers' language use in the classroom and classroom management. In this sense, a convergent parallel design in which the effect of this activity was assessed with a control group was employed to address the purpose of this study. Therefore, both quantitative and qualitative data were gathered concurrently, and the results were collated to provide a stronger baseline. The study was conducted in an ELT department at a state university located in the northwest of Turkey with thirty senior pre-service EFL teachers who were selected by the random sampling strategy. Fifteen of them were assigned to the study group and the other fifteen were allocated to the control group. Having been trained about the usage of video recording and analysis as a self-monitoring tool for a semester, participants in the study group employed this activity in their teaching practice course while the control group followed the routine requirements of the teaching practice course. Data collection was performed in the following academic semester employing quantitative and qualitative research instruments. For collection of quantitative data, The Profile of The Reflective Thinking Attributes Instrument developed by Taggart and Wilson (1998) and The Teaching Knowledge Test (Cambridge ESOL) were employed as a pre-test and post-test design to both groups. Video recordings of school lessons, video-stimulated recall sessions, and written reflections based on those sessions were employed to gather the qualitative data from participants in the study group. Analysis of the quantitative data was made using IBM SPSS Statistics 21 programme and the qualitative data were analysed by the software MAXQDA 12. Results regarding a shift in the reflectivity levels indicated that the participants in the study group enhanced their reflectivity level more than the control group. Overall qualitative findings of the study supported the quantitative findings as there was a hierarchical improvement in pre-service EFL teachers' reflectivity level throughout the study. The study concluded that majority of the participants reached the highest level of reflectivity due to the implementation of video based self-monitoring activity. In addition, individual analysis of qualitative data revealed that some of the participants exploited more from the procedure to improve their reflectivity level. Results regarding teacher knowledge growth as a consequence of self-monitoring usage divulged that video recording and analysis as a self-monitoring tool is a highly effective activity for enhancing teachers' knowledge growth, particularly about planning and preparing a lesson, its flow, selecting and utilising language teaching resources and materials, teachers' language use in the classroom and managing the teaching learning process. In other words, the use of video as a self-monitoring tool can be considered as a powerful instrument to support the professional development of pre-service teachers. The study provides several implications for teacher educators, university supervisors and particularly for teacher education programmes whose aim is to prepare pre-service teachers for the real teaching profession by training them using professional development tools.
İletişim kurma istekliliği: Türkiye'de üniversite düzeyinde İngilizce öğrenen öğrenciler için bir yol analizi modeli
The present study aimed to probe Turkish EFL learners' perceived levels of WTC in English inside and outside the classroom as well as to explore the probable interrelationships between L2 WTC, ideal L2 self, ought-to L2 self, L2 learning experience, imagery capacity, L2 motivation, L2 anxiety, vocabulary size and course achievement. Besides, Turkish EFL learners' perceptions of the factors which affect their WTC in English inside and outside the classroom were examined in the study.The study, which employed a mixed methods sequential explanatory research design, was conducted at Balıkesir University Faculty of Tourism in Balıkesir, Turkey in the 2016-2017 academic year. Quantitative data were collected from 701 EFL learners, 32 of whom also participated in the qualitative phase of the research. The data collection instruments consisted of a composite survey instrument, a vocabulary size test, and semi-structured interviews. The quantitative data were analyzed descriptively using IBM SPSS 21. The hypothesized relationships between the variables of interest were tested by means of the path analysis technique, which was conducted using LISREL 8.80. The qualitative data collected from the interviews were analyzed through qualitative content analysis. The results indicated that the tertiary level Turkish EFL learners have a moderate level of WTC in English both inside and outside the classroom. The final model of L2 WTC showed good fit to the data. Among the variables tested, L2 motivation and imagery capacity were found as the most significant predictors of L2 WTC. Both direct and indirect influences of ideal L2 self on in-class and out-of-class L2 WTC were also revealed. The qualitative findings demonstrated that L2 WTC is affected by various factors including L2 classroom environment, affective factors, topic, interlocutor, personal characteristics, linguistic factors, self-perceived communication competence, past communication experience, opportunity for communication, group size, ideal L2 self, and ought-to L2 self.
Yabancı dil öğrenen öğrencilerin vizyonu/hayal gücü ve bunun iletişim kurma istekliliğine olan etkisi
This study was conducted to examine the predictors of willingness to communicate (WTC) inside and outside the classroom and to examine the effect of vision/imagery capacity on willingness to communicate. The study was designed via a quantitative approach in which a composite instrument was used to examine the relationships of different variables based on willingness to communicate, L2 motivational self-system, and vision. The study was conducted at Hacettepe University. The participants were 229 English Preparatory School students. The data was analyzed quantitatively by conducting parametric tests which were descriptive statistics, one-way between-groups multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), Pearson product correlation coefficients, and standard multiple regression analysis. The results demonstrated that university level English learners in Turkish EFL context had high levels of willingness to communicate both inside and outside the classroom. However, the participants' level of willingness to communicate outside the classroom was significantly higher than their level of willingness to communicate inside the classroom. This difference was also corroborated by the standard multiple regression analysis concluding that the predictors of WTC inside the classroom and outside classroom were different. The WTC inside the classroom was predicted by Ideal L2 self, WTC outside the classroom, International travelling and Language learning experience; however, the WTC outside the classroom was predicted by WTC inside the classroom, International travelling and Vision. Vision was examined in a WTC model and was found to have a significant effect on WTC outside the classroom, but not inside the classroom. The results were discussed with the related literature and it was concluded that in Turkish EFL context, WTC inside and outside the classroom was different from each other and their predictors were different from each other.
Hizmet öncesi İngilizce öğretmenlerinin ters-yüz sınıf modeli hakkında görüşleri
The present study explored the pre-service English language teachers' perceptions of the flipped classroom and provided a detailed account of what they thought of the model. It also assessed their perceptional changes by examining the reasons and motives behind these changes. The study also looked at their attitudes towards the pre-class learning experience and materials. Lastly, the present study investigated the instructor's perceptions of the model and the process she went through. To attain these aims, the study pursued a pre-experimental One-Group Pretest-Posttest research design. A four-week intervention of flipped classroom implementation took place between the pre-test and the post-test. The study adopted a mixed methods research design, so it benefited from both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods. The study was conducted with 29 pre-service English language teachers in English Language Teaching program in the Department of Foreign Languages Education at Faculty of Education at Sakarya University, a state university. The results indicated that pre-service English teachers favored the flipped classroom learning experience. A significant increase in motivation, engagement, participation, and interaction was demonstrated. The participants highly valued in-class applied activities, learning by experiencing, and peer learning. They also developed self-regulated learning skills by taking the responsibility for their own learning. On the other hand, the problems they faced were mainly about the poor internet connection. Likewise, the findings displayed that also the instructor was satisfied with the model because of similar reasons. It can be concluded that flipped classroom model has a promising potential to make learning more effective and increase learning gains.
Karma öğrenme ortamında yabancı dilde dinlediğini anlamada strateji eğitiminin rolünü araştırma
This thesis aimed to explore the role of strategy training in listening comprehension in a blended learning environment among Turkish primary school level EFL students, to investigate what listening strategies may benefit them in their development of listening comprehension, and to develop awareness on the instruction of listening strategies. This quasi-experimental research was designed with an experimental group for the implementation of listening strategy instruction and a control group. At the onset of the study, pre-test and background questionnaire were conducted to both the experimental and control group students, 34 Turkish EFL primary school students studying in a blended learning environment. Then awareness raising activities towards listening strategy use and listening strategies was applied to the experimental group before the 12-week listening strategy instruction. Experimental group used self-assessment grids to become more autonomous in language learning process, and to focus on the development of listening comprehension. At the end of the instruction process, post-test and semi structured interviews with immediate retrospections were applied to both groups. The findings indicated that the cognitive listening strategies were used with higher frequency compared to the metacognitive strategies at the onset of the instruction process. The participants were satisfied with the success of the treatment, the change in awareness, the increase in self-confidence, and the willingness for the use of listening strategies. It was revealed that there was a statistically significant difference in listening performance and listening strategy employment in the onset and at the end of the listening strategy training between both groups.
Başarı yüklemesi eğitiminin dil öğrenenlerin yükleme algıları, gelecek benlikleri ve motive çaba ve davranışları üzerine etkisi
This dissertation investigates causal attributions of language learners at a university in Turkey for their exam performances. The study has two main phases. The first one includes to what learners attribute their success or failure and the relationship between the perceived success, ideal L2 selves and ought-to selves and the second step scrutinizes the effect of Attribution Retraining (AR) on the promotion of adaptive attributions and dimensions, future self guides and motivated behavior. Additionally, the research includes a process of attribution scale development (LACAS) validated and implemented in detail. The study employed an embedded mixed method design in which the AR effect on all variables was explored through different scales. Also, open-ended questions before and after the treatment, reflection papers, and interviews were administered to the participants in the experimental group. The findings showed that Health and Teacher are the main causal attributions for the language learners. Higher ideal L2 self seems to make a difference between the causal attributions of the learners. Also, Task Difficulty is the main predictor of the previous exam scores and Effort ranks the top predictor for the future exam scores. AR seems to have improved Locus of Control, Personal Control and a decrease in Stability dimensions. It also bolstered adaptive attributions of Effort and Strategy and higher ideal L2 selves of the learners. The study suggests that practitioners and program developers need to embed AR programs into their syllabi to foster learners' clearer vision and to have them study harder for future performance.
Uzaktan işbirliğinin öğrencilerin kültürlerarası becerisine ve ideal hedef dil benliğine etkisi
This study intended to reveal the effect of telecollaborative task engagement and interaction on learners' intercultural communicative competence (ICC) and ideal L2 self. In the study, a quasi-experimental study design was employed to investigate the effect of telecollaboration; hence, the study involved one control group and one experimental group. In the experimental group, 15 Turkish EFL learners were engaged in an intercultural exchange with nine speakers of English as a native language or second language. They performed a number of tasks to improve their ICC using (a)synchronous Internet tools for communication. However, in the control group, seven Turkish EFL learners came together in a real classroom setting and performed identical tasks to those performed by the experimental group. The study took eight weeks in total. The data collection and analysis procedures involved the use of quantitative and qualitative methods. All the data collected were analyzed using quantitative (SPSS 17.0) and qualitative data analysis (MAXQDA 10) software. The findings indicated that telecollaboration did indeed affect the participants' intercultural communicative competence and its components positively and helped the Turkish participants to adopt a clearer ideal L2 self as users of English. Depending on the positive effects of the telecollaboration on the participants' intercultural competence and ideal L2 self, the study provides a number of insights into the effectiveness of telecollaboration for learners at the tertiary level of education; it presents a clear understanding for individual teachers, curriculum planners and institutions about the necessity for the integration of telecollaboration projects into the language curriculum.
Yabancı dildeki görev tabanlı akran etkileşiminde işbirlikçi davranışlar üzerine bir araştırma
The present study investigated the effect of task type and group structuring on learners' collaborative behaviours during L2 task-based peer interaction from a sociocultural perspective. A total of 15 learners who were studying English at an intensive language programme participated in a speaking club as an extracurricular activity in groups of four or five. They were assigned two different types of speaking tasks; namely convergent and divergent tasks, in two group structuring conditions; namely unstructured and structured. The emerging interactions from these tasks were analysed through applying a grounded qualitative analysis. The results suggest that learners employed 13 different collaborative behaviours which were grouped under language-related and task-related collaborative behaviours. There were eight language-related and five task-related collaborative behaviours. A frequency analysis of these collaborative behaviours was later conducted to draw conclusions on the effect of task type and group structuring. Overall, the quantitative findings showed that learners displayed language-related collaborative behaviours more frequently in convergent tasks. On the other hand, task-related collaborative behaviours were more frequently observed in divergent tasks. Additionally, learners displayed more collaborative behaviours during unstructured tasks than structured tasks. Language-related collaborative behaviours were more frequently employed in unstructured tasks while task-related collaborative behaviours were more frequently employed in structured tasks. These findings suggest both task type and group structuring had an impact on learners' overall use of collaborative behaviours. Additionally, individual collaborative behaviours showed a difference in frequency between divergent and convergent tasks. Moreover, they showed a difference in frequency between unstructured and structured tasks.
Yabancı dil öğrenme benlik algısının araştırılması
The present study aimed to explore Language Learning Self-Concept and investigate its relationship to student proficiency level. To this end, a sequential exploratory mixed design was adopted throughout the study. Based on the literature review and student responses to an open-ended questionnaire, an initial item pool consisting of 54 items was generated. After an evaluation of content validity followed by the initial piloting of the questionnaire, the scale was conducted to an independent sample of 201 students. The participants were from 3 settings including English Time Language School, Middle East Technical University School of Foreign Languages and Çankaya University Prep-school with Language proficiency levels ranging from beginner to advanced. Exploratory factor analysis yielded a 38 item scale with the following 7 factors: Aptitude, Self Regulation, Effort, Linguistic Resources, Production, Reception, and Articulation. The scale was validated through exploratory factor analysis and internal consistency reliability. The reliability tests confirmed the internal consistency of the scale. The study tried to investigate whether student proficiency level had an impact on language learning self concept in terms of the different dimensions of the scale. The students at higher levels reported higher scores of self concept at all the 7 components of the scale. This finding indicated that student proficiency level was a predictor of language learning self-concept. It also confirmed the predictive validity of the scale. It is suggested that a better understanding of the students' self-perceptions can help teachers with their lesson planning, giving feedback to students, and different forms of teacher-student interaction.