Theses supervised by Prof. Dr. Yasemin Kırkgöz
26 theses · Çukurova University, Çağ University
The relationship between writing self-efficacy and writing performance in a university English preparatory course
Students have to deal with many problems while writing essays as it requires a lot of skills at once. Therefore, there are many points to consider during the writing process and how students feel about their writing skills is one of the most crucial factors that affects their writing performance; hence, writing self-efficacy should be investigated in detail. In addition, some students may feel less efficacious about their writing skills which can be caused by a number of problems they face while writing. Consequently, these problems should be understood by teachers to help students overcome them so that their writing performance and writing self-efficacy can be improved. The purpose of this study is to identify the preparatory school students' writing self-efficacy beliefs and the relationship between their level of writing self-efficacy and writing performance. It also aims to find out if there is a relationship between the students' writing self-efficacy and their level of English. Besides these, it further tries to investigate the problems the students face while writing essays. This study is both a descriptive and correlational study which lasted 7 weeks. 22 preparatory school students at Hasan Kalyoncu University, Gaziantep, were chosen by using convenience sampling strategy for the study. At the beginning of the study, a questionnaire with close–ended items was administered to see whether participants were aware of writing self-efficacy beliefs. The same questionnaire was administered at the end of the study to find out to what extent the students showed improvement in their writing self-efficacy beliefs in accordance with their level of English. The students' exam results were also acquired in order to understand whether there was a relationship between their level of writing self-efficacy and writing performance. Moreover, 7 students with lower level of writing self-efficacy were chosen and asked to write one essay by applying thinking aloud protocol in order to identify the problems they faced while writing essays. The data gathered from thinking aloud protocols were supported by analyzing the minute papers students wrote after writing the essay in order to learn more about their opinions about the writing process. The quantitative data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics and the qualitative data were analyzed through content analysis. The analysis revealed that although students were not fully unaware of their writing self-efficacy beliefs at the beginning of the study, there was a positive change in their writing self-efficacy beliefs after completing one particular proficiency level. Moreover, it was found out that there was a significant positive correlation between the students' writing self-efficacy and their writing performance. Finally, the findings from thinking aloud protocols and minute papers showed that the students with lower level of writing self-efficacy faced a lot of basic problems in terms of brainstorming, introduction, body paragraphs, conclusion, grammar and vocabulary and they were analyzed in depth to have a deeper understanding about their writing performance. Keywords: Writing self-efficacy, writing performance, writing problems, English preparatory school students.
A corpus-based approach on the design and implementation of a lexical syllabus for electrical and electronics engineering students
In recent years, there have been various studies on the corpus-based approach in the field of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) since the corpus-based approach provides the field with authentic and reliable sources. These studies aim to meet the needs for the development of ESP materials for both ESP practitioners and learners. In the current study, the aim was to design an effective corpus-based lexical syllabus based on authentic data which were gathered through materials such as textbooks, lecture notes and online resources at the Engineering Faculty, at the department of Electrical & Electronics Engineering (EEE) at Nigde University, where the majors are in English. Then, the collected data were converted into machine readable form to be analysed by means of AntConc, AntWordfinder and RANGE programmes. With the data obtained through a corpus based approach, a lexical syllabus was designed. After that, both the lectures and students at the department of EEE were interviewed. Then, a questionnaire survey was conducted with the students and the results were analyzed in order to find out their perceptions related to their English language needs. A pre-test was conducted with 94 students at the department in order to see the students' current levels of English. Then, the students were divided into two groups, one of which was the experimental group and the other of which was the control group. The conventional General English syllabus, which is purely based on four skills, was applied in the former, whereas the lexical syllabus for students was applied in the latter in order to see to what extent the students could improve their vocabulary capacity in terms of their specialty subject. At the end of the 12-week treatment for the experimental group, a post test was conducted to see the differences between two groups. The results indicated a significant difference favouring the experimental group. The results of the study indicate that the students at department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering (EEE) at Nigde University are eager to improve their technical vocabulary capacity. Moreover, the majority of the students are of the opinion that both the materials and the content of the course should be improved in terms of the lexical items it contains. Keywords: Corpus-based approach, ESP, needs analysis, lexical syllabus
Promoting continuous professional development for English language instructors within a higher education context
The study adopts a mixed method research design to foster English Language instructors' attitude towards professional development, self-efficacy beliefs and reflective thinking. Vygotsky's socio-cultural theory constituted the base and the professional development program was designed accordingly. The participants of the study were nine English Language instructors working at three different universities. Throughout the 16-week program, it was aimed to equip the participants with action research skills to conduct their own study in their own context according to their needs and/or interests. All the participants completed the Plan, Act, Observe and Reflect stages of the Action Research Cycle. Qualitative data collection instruments were semi-structured interviews which were conducted before and after the study, weekly evaluation forms, researcher's field notes, participant diaries and program evaluation forms. Additionally, Teachers' Attitude towards Professional Development Scale and Teachers' Self-efficacy Scale were implemented before and after the study. Wilcoxon and Friedman tests were used for data analysis. The analysis revealed that there was a significant improvement in teachers' attitude towards professional development, their self-efficacy beliefs and reflective thinking after participating in the program. Keywords: Action research, Socio-cultural perspective, Continuous professional development
A study on the professional burnout of efl teachers at vocational and technical anatolian high schools in Adana
The aim of this study is to determine the burnout levels of the ELT teachers working at Vocational and Technical Anatolian High Schools in terms of demographic variables and certain elements which might effect the level of burnout and to try to determine the factors causing burnout. 110 teachers working at Vocational and Technical Anatolian High Schools in central part of Adana (Seyhan, Çukurova, Sarıçam, Yüreğir) participated in this research. This study is based on a mixed research design, using both qualitative and quantitative research methods. Demographic Information Form containing 20 questions which have been prepared by the researcher to get information about the personal characteristics of the research group, "Maslach Burnout Inventory (1981)" which involves 22 questions developed by Maslach to measure burnout, and a semi-structured interview technique were utilized. The quantitative data obtained from the questionnaire wereanalyzed by statistical software 17 (SPSS). Moreover, the qualitative data collected using the Demographic Information Form and semi structured interviews were analyzed through content analysis to support the quantitative data. Results revealed that EFL teachers who are working in Vocational and Technical Anatolian High Schools in Adana have a high level of burnout. The data analysis implicated that burnout existed among EFLteachers with 49 high level of burnout, followed by 37 moderate level, and 24 low. Additionally, on the basis of independent samples' test scores and Anova results, it can be implicated that there is no significant difference in gender, age, marital status, educational background, work experience in terms of burnout. As a result of the detailed study and analysis of the data findings from semi structured interviews, it was found that student-related factors dominate other challenges. The findings also show that work overload, administrative staff, physical environment, and lack of autonomy in decision making are associated with teacher burnout. In order to prevent and reduce burnout levels, some suggestions were also included in the study. Keywords: Burnout, burnout dimensions, vocational and technical high school, teacher
An investigation into motivation of engineering students and lecturers toward English-medium instruction at tertiary level in Turkey
This study aims at revealing motivational variations of university students who study in Engineering Faculty toward English-Medium Instruction (EMI). Another aim of the study is to deeply investigate the opinions and experiences of university lecturers who teach in the same faculty about EMI. As to data collection tools, a likert-type questionnaire was adapted for the first phase of the study. Consistency between items in the questionnaire prepared for the university students was taken into consideration and accordingly, the questionnaire was mainly developed in the light of Dörnyei's (1994) framework for foreign language learning motivation. Data from the questionnaires were analyzed with SPSS (Version 23.0). For the analyses of quantitative data, mean and standard deviation scores via "Descriptive Statistics" were used and MANOVA test was utilized via "Inferential Statistics". MANOVA test was applied to see whether there was a significant difference between the results of questionnaires administered to first, second, third and fourth year students separately. The other data collection tool was semi-structured interviews prepared in accordance with the items in the questionnaire. With students, interviews were conducted by means of focus group interviews whereas lecturers were interviewed individually. Qualitative data obtained from interviews were analyzed with the help of inductive content analysis method. The results highlighted that there was not a significant difference between first, second, third and fourth year mechanical engineering students' motivation toward EMI; yet, it was found out that the first year students were slightly more motivated toward EMI when compared to second, third and fourth year students. In relation to the types of motivation, it can be said that the most motivating reasons were linked to instrumental motivation. As for the results of interviews with lecturers, it was explored that lecturers' motivations toward EMI differed positively or negatively depending upon the various reasons. Keywords:English-medium instruction, motivation, university students and lecturers
Vocational and technical anatolian high school teachers' and students' perceptions of the effectiveness of English curriculum: A sample of Osmaniye Province
This study, which has a mixed-method research design, was carried out in order to determine vocational and technical Anatolian high school (VTAHS) 12th grade students' and their EFL teachers' perceptions of the effectiveness of VTAHS English curriculum. Research data were collected from VTAHS 12th grade students and their EFL teachers in the city centre of Osmaniye province in the second term of the 2015-2016 school year. In order to determine students' perceptions, Students' Perceptions Questionnaire was developed by the researcher by taking opinions from three different academicians working in the faculty of educational sciences. After being piloted with 47 students and revised relevantly, the 5-point Likert scale, which has 20 items in total, was conducted with 186 VTAHS 12th grade students. A focus group interview, which has four main questions including 12 sub-questions and lasted for 47 minutes, was also conducted with seven 12th grade students selected randomly from the participants of Students' Perceptions Questionnaire, with the aim of assessing and improving validity and reliability of the results obtained from Students' Perceptions Questionnaire. In order to determine the perceptions of EFL teachers, Teachers' Perceptions Questionnaire was developed by the researcher by taking relevant expert opinions from three academicians working in the faculty of educational sciences. After being piloted with three EFL teachers, Teachers' Perceptions Questionnaire, which included 5-level Likert 20 items, was carried out with 13 EFL teachers. The data obtained from the two questionnaires were analyzed by using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) 21.0, and the research samples were described by using descriptive statistics such as mean, standard deviation, frequency and percentage. The data obtained from the focus group interview were analyzed descriptively. Finally, the results obtained from Students' Perceptions Questionnaire and Teachers' Perceptions Questionnaire were compared in order to reveal whether there are any significant differences between the two groups. The results of the study show that VTAHS 12th grade students and their EFL teachers have the perception that VTAHS English curriculum is not effective. Key Words: Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School, English Curriculum, Students' Perceptions, Teachers' Perceptions
A study on teachers' and students' use of L1 in EFL secondary education context
Whether or not to use L1 in language classrooms has been a controversial issue for years. Mainly, two contrasting approaches have emerged: using the monolingual approach or using the bilingual approach. The monolingual approach adopts the English-only policy but sees the students' native languages (L1) as a factor that prevents them from learning English. The bilingual approach sees students' L1 as a tool to help them learn English. This study tries to explain in detail whether the use of L1 in Turkish secondary schools has a negative or positive effect on the target language (L2) learning. In addition, the study examines the perceptions of teachers and students for the use of L1 in English classes in Turkey and seeks to find the rationale for English teachers in Turkey using their L1 in the classroom. For many foreign language teachers, using L2 in the classroom has been the main goal, and the teachers refrain from using L1. But the use of L1 has never been less frequent. On the contrary, teachers unwittingly continue to use the main language intensively. In this study, a mixed-method research design was used to obtain the necessary data. For the questionnaires, a five-point Likert scale was used and the questionnaires were conducted with 100 students and 40 teachers. There were also interviews with four teachers and their lessons were observed for two hours per week for four weeks. The results of the research have shown that the use of L1 in an appropriate and limited amount is useful when learning a foreign language. Moreover, excessive use of L1 in English lessons has negative effects on the learning process. When English lessons were observed, it was found that there were various reasons for the use of L1, and these functions of L1 use are listed in the findings chapter of this study.
Investigating translanguaging as a teaching and learning practice in an English medium higher education context in Turkey
This study aims to discuss and examine existing translanguaging practices within Turkish higher educational context with reference to Adana Science and Technology University (Adana STU). Research objectives of the study are: (i.) to determine language related challenges faced by the first year EMI students, (ii.) to discuss students' attitudes on translanguaging as a learning strategy (iii.) to examine translanguaging strategies used by the first year undergraduate students during their academic studies, (iv.) to discuss lecturers' attitudes on translanguaging as learning and teaching strategy and (v.) to determine the purposes of translanguaging practices used by lecturers when teaching content courses in English medium instruction (EMI). In order to achieve the research objectives, data collection of this study was carried out during the first semester of 2017-2018 academic year. The research collection tools included questionnaire, interviews and observations. As a first step, a Likert-type questionnaire was adapted for the study. Consistency among the items of the questionnaire prepared for the students was taken into account. Data gathered via questionnaires were analyzed through SPSS (Version 21.0). For the analyses of the quantitative data, mean and standard deviation scores via "Descriptive Statistics" were used. The second data collection tool was the semi-structured interview conducted with students and lecturers. Consistency between the items of the questionnaire and interview questions prepared for the students was taken into account. The semi-structured interviews with students were conducted by means of focus group discussion while lecturers were interviewed individually. The third data collection tool was non-participant observation. Content subject lessons of five lecturers were video-taped and patterns of translanguaging strategies used by lecturers and students were closely observed via non-participant observation. Qualitative data were analyzed via inductive content analysis method in a qualitative manner. The findings of the study revealed that the most occurring troubles that students face were inadequate use of technical English vocabulary and accent and pronunciation which hinder content mastery and communication in the classroom. The results of the study have also shown that translanguaging practices have widely been used by students and lecturers. While the majority of the lecturers held optimal positions towards translanguaging, students held maximal position towards translanguaging which gives priority to maximization of English use in EMI classrooms; however, they have still have positive attitudes towards benefits of translanguaging. Translanguaging practices used by students were revealed to be scaffolding with peers and lecturers, translation and use of bilingual materials and note taking in L1. Students use translanguaging with their classmates and lecturers mainly for understanding and clarifying the complicated parts of the content. Finally, it was also revealed that lecturers use translanguaging mostly for instructional and affective purposes such as clarifying and conveying the meaning to facilitate better comprehension of content, explaining new words and concepts, giving voice and increasing students' participation and encouraging and comforting students. The results of the study provide implications for university lecturers, students and authorities in terms of how they can adopt translanguaging practice as learning and teaching strategy in EMI programmes.
Investigating the first year experiences of novice efl teachers in public and private schools
This study was carried out to investigate the experiences of the first year experiences of novice English teachers in public and private schools on a comparative and longitudinal basis. Since there is almost no literature comparing novice teachers working in private schools and most current studies focus on the first year experiences with the challenges of language teaching of novice teachers, this study- as we stressed above- aims to shed light on the first year experiences of novice English teachers depending on a comparative and longitudinal basis. Covering an educational year (2017-2018), the study was carried out through a case design with four participants, two of whom are from state schools, and the other two of whom are from private schools. The data collection tools of the study are reflective journals and interviews. The data for the study was collected on a longitudinal base and analyzed monthly. Necessary and important excerpts from novice teachers' experiences were investigated and coded. The coding pattern used in the study is the holistic one. The findings of the study revealed that the experiences and challenges of the novice teachers who were within their first year in profession were different to the extent that socio-economic conditions of the regions affected the schools and the pedagogical processes.
An investigation into foreign language anxiety in English-medium higher education: The case of a Turkish private university
The main purpose of this study to investigate the relationship between Foreign Language Anxiety (FLA) and English-medium Instruction (EMI). In this regard, the study aimed to reveal FLA levels of students at an EMI university, the sources of their FLA and whether there were statistically significant differences in FLA levels of first, second and third year students. A mixed method concurrent triangulation research method was conducted with 190 students from different undergraduate levels and different departments. Quantitative data of the study was collected through a 5-point Likert Scale, which was adapted from Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) by Horwitz, Horwitz and Cope (1986), and the data was analyzed with SPSS (Version 23.0). On the other hand, a semi-structured interview form that was prepared in accordance with the sub-dimensions of the questionnaire, was used to collect qualitative data of the study. The qualitative data was analyzed via content analysis method. The results of the study revealed a moderate negative relationship between EMI and FLA. Also, a statistically significant difference was found on FLA levels of students according to undergraduate levels. Another finding of the study revealed that students had positive opinions and feelings toward EMI. Although the students are in favor of EMI, they indicated some suggestions to develop the concept of EMI lectures. These suggestions indicate the integration of a short summary of the content in Turkish and some modifications in English Preparatory Programs at universities in order to prepare students for EMI. Keywords: English-medium instruction, Foreign Language Anxiety, Higher education.
Infusion of critical thinking skills into high school 10th grade efl classes
In today's world, there are many changes that we struggle to keep pace with. The technological developments brought about by the century in which we are have led to a serious competition among the countries. This competition has resulted in the necessity for people to have some abilities beyond traditional and ordinary skills. Critical thinking skills are at the forefront of them; and nations shape their education systems according to this necessity. Critical thinking should be considered as one of the inevitable goals of education. Because, thinking skills are very necessary for a society characterized by rapid change. For this reason, educating students as effective thinkers in our world of cognitive development ought to be one of the main objectives of education policy. In recent years, Critical Thinking (CT) and Higher Order Thinking (HOT) skills have been mentioned in the curricula prepared by the Ministry of National Education. However, there are not specific activities and exercises enhancing critical thinking abilities in the textbooks prepared by the ministry and in supportive resources. This leads to a tremendous disadvantage particularly for teachers in getting students to comprehend high – level thinking skills. There are a number of studies in our country in terms of eliminating these deficiencies. However, these limited studies do not provide any applicability to cover all the educational institutions in our country. In order to make up for this deficit, research should be carried out on a large scale. Additionally, curriculum and material development studies should be conducted within the Ministry of National Education. The study covered the 2017 - 2018 Academic Year and 131 10th grade students in Emine Nabi Anatolian High School in Çukurova. The study was an exploratory case study, based on infusing critical thinking skills into the 10th grade English curriculum, doing the lessons according to remodeled unit plans during one academic year and evaluation of the results. At the first stage, students were given a questionairre and their critical thinking levels were determined. Activities and tasks were given to the students in line with the remodeled lesson plans and their level of critical thinking was occasionally observed during classes. With a final questionairre given at the end of the academic year, the level of development in students' critical thinking skills was measured. Data obtained from both the final questionairre and the face – to – face interviews have revealed that the English lessons done in the light of the remodeled lesson plans with critical thinking tasks substantially provided students with critical thinking skills. The results and products of this study have significant importance for language teachers, curriculum and material developers within the ministry. This research also includes implications for similar studies to be conducted on the field. Keywords: Critical thinking, teaching critical thinking, higher order thinking skills, high school English curriculum
Motivation of young learners towards learning English in Turkish state schools
Motivation towards learning English has been considered as an important factor in language learning. In this study, we aim to study motivation of the students from grades fourth to eighth at state schools when they first start to learn English and continue for five years. 500 participants studying English at state schools contributed to the motivation scale in Academic Year 2011-2012. The design of the present study is a mixed method design, which combines and associates both qualitative and quantitative designs. The data were collected through a motivation scale developed for this study by the researcher which was analyzed quantitatively; also, open-ended questions and interviews were used to support the findings which were analyzed qualitatively. The data collected through the motivation scale was analyzed by SPSS 17.0 statistical package program, and frequency, percentage, standard variation, t-test, one-way variance analysis were used. The findings of the study revealed that overall state school students in Turkey had positive perspectives on motivation towards learning English as a foreign language and they had high motivation level in terms of three factors, that is, attitudes, learning environment and instrumentality. Students' motivation towards learning English significantly differed across grades and there was a significant gender difference in that female students had higher motivation level. The factors that influenced state school students' motivation mostly were teacher attitudes, DynEd program, the difficulty of English lessons, friends, and the course book. This study confirmed the dependency of young learners on teachers and learning environment (classroom). The vast majority of the students were highly motivated extrinsically. Keywords: Motivation, young learners, attitudes, learning environment, instrumentality.
The effects of teaching vocabulary related to architecture through word roots strategy at higher education level
The vocabulary learning process is seen as difficult and time consuming part of language learning. One of the factors that makes it difficult for students to learn English for specific purpose (ESP) words is that the words used in ESP are specific to a particular discipline and rarely used in general English. There are different learning strategies used by ESP learners for memorizing and retention of words. Although dissecting words into their roots and suffixes is among these strategies, it has not received enough attention in ESP vocabulary teaching. There are also few studies focusing on the benefits of teaching vocabulary roots. These few studies underline the efficiency of vocabulary learning/teaching with roots. However, the impact of the word root strategy on the teaching of ESP words and its ability to predict the meaning of unknown words has not been emphasized. The aim of this study is to show the effect of the word roots training on predicting the meaning of unknown ESP words correctly and the retention of these words. The experimental approach was adopted throughout the study. Two groups of students studying in the same department of a state university participated in the present study. Each group was composed of 30 students. A pre-test was applied to both control and experimental groups at the beginning of the study to see the word knowledge the homogeneity of the groups. As it is hard to decide which words are ESP words, the words in all tests applied in this study were selected from a corpus of 505,649 words related to Architecture. After the pre-test, the words were taught to the treatment group through word root training while the control group learnt these words through dictionary usage. Ten weeks later, a post-test was performed to observe the effect of this method on vocabulary retention. A week later, a delayed post-test was also conducted to measure the students' competence of predicting the meaning of the ESP words they had never seen before. For triangulation, in addition to pre-test, post-test and delayed post-test, students were asked to keep a diary and they were also interviewed. The tests' scores were analyzed via SPSS 23 and thematic analysis was used for the analysis of the qualitative data. The results of the tests applied, the answers of the participants given in the interviews and the extracts from the diaries the participants kept all showed that word root strategy is an effective and welcomed tool for learning new English words. Key Words: Teaching with word roots, discipline-specific English words, vocabulary learning strategies
The evaluation of students' and teachers' perceptions on the EFL curriculum of vocational high schools: A needs analysis
Rapid developments in the world has brought about the necessity to equip the individuals with all required skills for daily life and the labour market. For this reason, The Ministry of National Education has decided to develop and reorganize vocational education in Turkey (Turkey's Educational Vision 2023, 2018). Curricula development and redesign has been one of the central reorganizations in the reform of Vocational and Technical Anatolian High Schools (VTAHS) as they play a crucial role in the country's economic development. The purpose of this study, which has a mixed-method research design to collect data, is to evaluate the current English curriculum of 11th graders studying in VTAHS and to identify the students' English language needs. The data was collected from 11th grade students of VTAHS in the city centre of Adıyaman and English teachers teaching in different vocational areas of the 11th graders in the city centre and eight districts of Adıyaman through the Students' Perceptions Questionnaire (SPQ), the Teachers' Perceptions Questionnaire (TPQ) and Focus group interviews with teachers and students. The data gathered from the questionnaires was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Studies (SPSS) 23.0 and descreptive statistics, and the the data obtained from the focus group interviews was analyzed using descriptive analysis. The results gathered from the TPQ, the SPQ and the data obtained from the focus group interviews show that students studying in 11th grades of VTAHS and teachers teaching in different vocational areas of the 11th grades find the current English curriculum of 11th grade ineffective to meet the language needs of the learners. Furthermore, English books are seen inappropriate for the level of the learners and the teaching hours, which are two in a week, are seen insufficient to cover all the units effectively. Keywords: Curriculum, curriculum evaluation, needs analysis, English for Specific Purposes (ESP), English for Vocational Purposes (EVP), Vocational Education (VE)
A functional analysis of translanguaging practices in engineering and literature courses in an English medium higher education context in Turkey
This thesis aims to explore and elucidate translanguaging practices in various academic courses taught at engineering and literature departments in Turkey. The key objectives of the study are to identify to what extent translanguaging is used in English literature and food engineering classes, what translanguaging practices are adopted during the delivery of content, determine the functions of translanguaging in these contexts and discuss the attitudes of students/lecturers towards the use of translanguaging in content-based courses. The required data was collected during the spring semester of 2018-2019 academic year at the departments of Food Engineering (Food Sciences (FS) programme) and Western Languages and Literatures (English Language and Literature (ELL) programme) of Gaziantep University (GAUN), a public university in southeast Turkey. It was obtained through audio recordings, a Likert-type questionnaire, face-to-face interviews and class observations. While the audio recordings provided the main part of the data, the other tools were used to complement the information gathered from the audio data. As the primary data source, a total of 14 (7 hours each) lesson hours (277 minutes in ELL, 278 minutes in FS classrooms) were audio-recorded, transcribed and studied to answer the research questions. Conversation analytic approach (CA) was adopted as a methodological framework to interpret translanguaging practices in the audio-recorded data. As a secondary source, the questionnaire results were handled, categorised and analysed in the SPSS (Version 21.0) software. A series of semi-structured interviews with students and lecturers were also used as complementary data, which comprised a total of 30 student (15 from each department) and 12 lecturer (six from each department) interviews. The questionnaires and interview questions assisted in crosschecking the data and thus ensuring the reliability and validity of the study. A final data collection tool was the non-participant observations in both departments, for which the classrooms were visited and observed for 44 lesson hours (21 hours in ELL, 23 hours in FS classrooms) These helped identify the patterns of translanguaging practices used by the lecturers and students as well as their attitudes towards these practices. The study concludes that translanguaging practices are ubiquitous in the academic setting. The lecturers from both departments use these practices to deliver the lesson content. The use of key terminology consistently in L2, the discussion of L2 resource in L1, reiteration, the use of addressee words in L2 and the adoption of L2 for non-existent words in L1 have been identified as common practices. These serve various pedagogical functions such as apprenticing students into the related science community, preventing misunderstanding, clarifying and negotiating meaning, discussing challenging topics and building rapport with students. However, the study reveals that there are some practices and functions peculiar to each academic field. The students studying English literature use language both as a means and an end. Yet, the engineering students use it chiefly as a means to master the course content introduced in L2 field-specific textbooks. The majority of classroom interaction leads ELL students and lecturers to use translanguaging practices for functions such as commenting, agreeing, disagreeing and persuading. However, FS students mostly consider L2 as a challenge and L1 as a panacea to the problems they experience in the face of academic tasks and responsibilities. Concerning the lecturer and student attitudes, the results show that FS lecturers hold a maximal position towards translanguaging practices in the class by prioritising English particularly for better job prospects. Nevertheless, the lecturers stress that it is vital for students to develop their content knowledge and linguistic skills. On the other hand, both ELL lecturers and students hold an optimal position regarding translanguaging. The lecturers claim it to be a context-sensitive practice, so some courses might require more frequent use of L1 during the delivery of the specific content. Accordingly, this study carries implications for different stakeholders in academia and encourages them to reconsider how translanguaging practices could be integrated into current curricula as an effective and essential learning and teaching tool in the content-based courses that are delivered in L2 at universities in Turkey and other countries.
Incorporating teacher immediacy into foreign language teacher education
In essence, this research aims to foster the immediacy behaviors of EFL teacher trainees through the incorporation of an immediacy training program into the initial teacher education; and to scrutinize the learning gains, perceptions and self-evaluations of the trainees throughout the immediacy training. The training through which the trainees could discover their own immediacy behaviors includes pre-, while- and post-training phases. The pre-training phase intends to raise awareness on the concept of teacher immediacy and to describe the trainees' current immediacy behaviors before they receive any training on teacher immediacy. Afterwards, the purpose of the while-training phase is to promote the trainees' verbal and nonverbal immediacy behaviors. Moreover, in the post-training phase, the objective is to examine the sustained learning gains of the trainees as a result of the training. With those aims in mind, this research was designed as an instrumental case study in which the objective was to understand the case of EFL teacher trainees who received the immediacy training throughout one semester (14 weeks). Before the implementation of the immediacy training, a four-week pilot work focused on the improvement of verbal immediacy behaviors was conducted with a group of EFL teacher trainees. As for the pre- and while-training phases of the study, the criterion sampling method was utilized to determine the participants. In these phases, both quantitative and qualitative data were collected through the immediacy measurements, focus group interviews, session evaluation forms and the researcher journal. Following this, for the post-training phase, the maximal variation sampling method was applied based on the frequency of occurrences of the participants' immediacy behaviors in the pre-training phase. The selected participants' sustained learning gains from the immediacy training were unraveled through the reflection reports. Regarding the data analysis, the whole qualitative data were analyzed via NVivo from an inductive perspective except for the data obtained from the researcher journal which were analyzed via manual content analysis. In addition, descriptive statistics was run via SPSS for the analysis of the obtained quantitative data. Throughout all these data collection and analysis processes, starting from the pilot work to the post-training phase, the necessary steps (e.g. expert opinion, member-check, intra- and inter-coder reliability and so on) were taken to ensure the trustworthiness of the study. The core findings suggested that the trainees, before the training, had no familiarity about the concept of teacher immediacy theoretically; and the employed immediacy behaviors of the trainees in practice were considerably infrequent and unvaried. Besides, during the training, the trainees were found to learn the influences of the teacher immediacy behaviors on teaching and learning in general as well as how to combine verbal and nonverbal immediacy behaviors effectively. Apart from such learning gains, the trainees detected a number of areas which they should improve themselves such as making more practices on teacher immediacy and learning how to be more natural and creative in using immediacy behaviors. In regard to the effectiveness of the training, it was revealed that the trainees perceived the entire training as effective in terms of its content, trainer, resources and objectives. More specifically, they were of the opinion that the training provided them to learn and experience new ways to be immediate and to raise awareness of teacher behaviors. Lastly, in the post-training phase, it was uncovered that the trainees could look at their learning gains from the whole immediacy training from a reflective stance; and most importantly, they gained the belief of becoming an immediate EFL teacher in the future. All things considered, a specific methodology course focusing upon the development of teacher immediacy behaviors should be added into initial teacher education curricula so that the trainees could become more familiar with the communicative dimension of teaching in consequence of their efforts to be more immediate teachers. Keywords: Teacher immediacy, teacher trainees, teacher education
EFL students' and teachers' perceptions of Educational Informatics Network live class applications during online education
Educational technology has been gaining great significance among the stakeholders of education for years, and several countries have been working on integrating the developments in the field of educational technology into their education systems gradually. However, the Covid-19 pandemic has caused an unprecedented education crisis, and nearly all countries have decided to suspend their face-to-face education activities and proceed with online education implemented through virtual or live classes. Is this sudden shift from traditional face-to-face education to online education a panacea? This question and the possible outcomes of online education in terms of foreign language education in all grades remain controversial. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to reveal the findings and details of both EFL students' and teachers' perceptions of the challenges and benefits of Educational Informatics Network (EIN) Live Class Application (LCA) by means of online language learning/teaching process. Another purpose of the study is to investigate the differences in opinions of students in terms of their grade, gender and type of school, and whether there is a significant difference in the perceptions of EFL teachers with regards to their gender, age, educational status, teaching experience, and type of school through a mixed methods research design. The specific context of this study is all primary, secondary, and high schools affiliated with the Ministry of National Education (MoNE). The findings of the study have demonstrated that participants believe live class application offers certain benefits such as making use of e-contents during classes and its' being time-saving and flexible. On the other hand, the findings also suggest that both teachers and students encounter several flaws mainly based on technical problems including internet connection problems and power cuts. Finally, participants unanimously allege that face-to-face education is necessary not solely for language education but for all educational activities. Key Words: Educational Informatics Network, EIN, Live Class Application, LCA, FATIH Project, Educational Technology, Virtual Class, Foreign Language Education
An evaluation of EFL teachers' burnout experiences in educational informatics network live classes during the COVID-19 pandemic
COVID-19 was initially reported in China in December 2019 and quickly spread all over the world and turned into a pandemic. This pandemic has led to radical changes that affect every field of social life globally. In many countries, these radical changes also indicated their effects in education and face-to-face education activities were stopped immediately. Subsequently, distance education was started at all education levels. Within the framework of pandemic measures in Turkey, the distance education process started with live lessons in all schools affiliated to the Ministry of National Education through the Education Informatics Network (EIN), one of the elements of the FATIH Project. This research aims to investigate the professional burnout experiences and opinions of EFL teachers who teach English via live lessons on EIN in the above-mentioned process and to reveal the relationship between these teachers' gender, age, education level, teaching experience and type of school variables and their burnout experiences in distance education process. The explanatory sequential research design, one of the mixed-method research designs, was used for the research design of this study. For the objectives of the study, 413 EFL teachers, who work in different cities of Turkey within the 2020-2021 academic year and selected by the convenience sampling, participated in the questionnaire which was implemented as the quantitative data collection tool. In addition to the questionnaire, 21 EFL teachers who were selected by voluntary sampling method responded to structured interview questions for the qualitative data collection phase of the study. According to the findings of the research, it was found out that EFL teachers significantly suffered from burnout in terms of Emotional Exhaustion dimension in EIN live lessons. It was also found out that the gender variable had a significant effect on the burnout experiences of EFL teachers. In accordance with this significant effect, female EFL teachers experienced more burnout than male EFL teachers in EIN live classes. Keywords: COVID-19, FATIH project, EIN, Live Classes, Burnout, EFL Teachers.
Stress sources and coping strategies of novice pre-school efl teachers in Turkey
This study aims to identify the sources of stress among novice preschool English teachers (NPETs), the coping strategies they use to overcome stress, and their perceptions of the effect of experience on stress management in Turkiye. The study employed a case study design, using semi-structured interviews as the main data source. Qualitative data, obtained from eight NPETs through face-to-face and online semi-structured interviews, were subjected to content analysis. The study demonstrated that the most common contributors to stress for NPETs are "work conditions" and "relationships." The most frequently mentioned stressor related to work conditions was "health," while the most frequently cited stressors in relationships were "parents" and "principal." Furthermore, "palliative coping strategies" were the most commonly applied strategies to manage stress in both occupational and social contexts. The most frequent coping strategy used in their social lives was engaging in relaxing activities, while in the workplace, the most common strategies were "colleague support" and "breathing exercises." The analysis of coping strategies revealed that NPETs rarely implement direct coping strategies in occupational contexts, and direct coping is never used in social contexts. The study provided limited evidence on the influence of using direct coping strategies for managing stress. Most NPETs perceived teaching experience as an influential factor in stress management, stating it contributes to their proficiency in lesson planning, classroom management, and professional development. The implications of the study are discussed, along with directions for future research.
The effects of flipped learning practices on the critical thinking disposition levels of EFL learners and their attitudes
This study aims to examine the effects of an academic writing course designed based on the Flipped Learning model on the critical thinking dispositions, academic writing skills, and attitudes of students learning English as a foreign language. The research was conducted with first-year students enrolled in the Department of English Language and Literature at a public university in Turkey's Central Anatolia region. Within the scope of the study, 22 participants were taught various types of compositions over six weeks through pre-class, in-class, and post-class activities based on the Flipped Learning approach. The participants' critical thinking dispositions were measured using the Turkish version of the California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory (CCTDI) (Kökdemir, 2003) as a pre-test and post-test. Academic writing skills were assessed before and after the implementation using the analytical writing rubric developed by Jacobs et al. (1981). The participants' attitudes toward the Flipped Learning approach were evaluated at the end of the intervention through the Flipped Learning Attitude Scale (Fauzan & Ngabut, 2018) and semi-structured interview questions. The findings indicate that while the Flipped Learning model had varying effects on students' critical thinking dispositions, it contributed to an overall improvement in their academic writing skills. In particular, progress was observed in sub-skills such as content, organization, vocabulary use, grammar, and mechanics. Additionally, the participants' attitudes toward the Flipped Learning-based writing course showed a positive development.
Designing an ESP course through a PBL approach in an EFL setting
Student-centered and communication-oriented approaches are gaining importance in language teaching studies. Especially with the approaches that enable language learning through mutual communication, many different approaches and methods have been used since the 1970s. In our country, in line with the 2023 Education Vision Document, it is aimed to use language effectively both in and out of the classroom as the first goal among the goals of language education. In this context, this study aims to bring together two approaches that have become increasingly important in the field of language teaching in recent years at the high school level, so that high school students learning English as a foreign language can use the language effectively and actively, solve real-life problems with their language skills, and participate in classes with high motivation while doing so. In this context, the aim of this study is to demonstrate the effectiveness of using Problem-Based Learning (PBL) and English for Specific Purposes (ESP) approaches together to increase high school students' problem-solving skills and English language use skills. The study also aims to measure the effects of using these two approaches together on students' perceptions of the course content created by the use of these two methods. The study will also shed light on the researcher's perceptions during the lessons prepared using these methods. This study was conducted in a high school with the voluntary participation of 25 students. The convenience sampling method was used to select 25 students as participants. Four different data collection methods were used in the study. First, a one-group pretest posttest and delayed test were applied to the students. In this way, the effectiveness of these two methods was investigated. In addition, a questionnaire was prepared at the end of the process and the students were asked whether they were satisfied with the use of these two teaching methods together. Furthermore, semi-structured interviews were conducted with randomly selected students to provide a qualitative analysis of the process. In addition, the teacher, as a researcher, evaluated the process and his own development during the training by evaluating the diaries he kept since the beginning of the implementation. Keywords: English for Specific Purposes (ESP), Problem-Based Learning (PBL), Teaching English as a Foreign Language
Investigating the impact of ChatGPT on EFL student engagement, autonomy, and writing skills
This study examines the integration of ChatGPT, an AI-powered language model, into English as a Foreign Language (EFL) writing instruction for young learners and investigates its impact on student engagement, learner autonomy, and writing performance. Conducted over a ten-week period in a private primary school in Türkiye, the research involved twenty-four fourth-grade students who participated in a structured ChatGPT-supported writing program. Using a mixed-methods, quasi-experimental design, data were collected through pre- and post-test writing tasks, engagement and autonomy questionnaires, ChatGPT perception items, and systematic classroom observations. The findings indicate that ChatGPT meaningfully enhanced students' behavioral and emotional engagement, as learners demonstrated increased willingness to participate in writing tasks, sustained attention during lessons, and greater enthusiasm for drafting and revising their texts. Autonomy also developed progressively, with students taking more initiative in planning ideas, revising their own sentences, and using ChatGPT strategically for vocabulary support and idea generation. Writing performance improved notably in areas such as paragraph structure, coherence, topic development, and supporting details, although gains in mechanics succh as grammar, punctuation, and spelling remained minimal, reflecting the instructional focus on organization rather than linguistic accuracy. Students expressed highly positive perceptions of ChatGPT, viewing it as a helpful, motivating, and easy-to-use tool that reduced writing anxiety and supported their confidence. Observation data further revealed that learners interacted collaboratively around the tool and adapted AI-generated suggestions into their own language. Overall, the study demonstrates that when integrated thoughtfully with teacher scaffolding, ChatGPT can serve as an effective pedagogical support in primary EFL writing classrooms, enhancing engagement, fostering emerging autonomy, and improving the overall quality of students' written output.
The impact of technology on enhancing adult efl learner vocabulary
Vocabulary plays a crucial role for English as a Second/Foreign Language (ESL/EFL) learners' mastery of language skills. Having an adequate knowledge of vocabulary is required to maintain communication effectively in the target language. In order to be a successful foreign language learner, it is necessary to have an adequate range of vocabulary. The present study investigates the impact of an online platform, Kahoot!, as a tool for enhancing vocabulary knowledge of adult EFL learners receiving an intensive English language programme at the School of Foreign Languages of a foundation university in Konya, Turkey. In particular, the present study aims to explore the Turkish adult EFL learners' perspectives on the effects of using Kahoot! for vocabulary learning; the effects of playing Kahoot! on self-regulated learning, and if Kahoot! makes a significant difference between the experimental and the control group in terms of vocabulary enhancement. This study was conducted during the spring term of the 2019-2020 academic year. A quasi-experimental research methodology was adopted using a pre-and a post-test and interviews to collect qualitative and quantitative data. The participants of this study are two groups of adult learners, each comprising 25 students, with an average age of 19 and having the same level of proficiency in English. One of the groups was treated as the control group while the other as the experimental group. Initially, all the participants were required to take a pre-test. The experimental group was given an intervention lasting over seven weeks. In the experimental group, Kahoot! was incorporated as an out-of-class learning tool in which students played Kahoot! vocabulary game weekly. At the end of six-week treatment, a post-test was administered to both control and experimental groups to determine the potential effect of the intervention. In addition, semi-structured interviews were held with students in the experimental group. To analyse quantitative data from the pre- and post-test, descriptive and inferential statistics were used. Qualitative data from the semi-structured interviews were analysed through content analysis. Findings suggest that students perceived Kahoot! as entertaining", "motivating", "fun" and at the same time "helpful" in learning vocabulary. They also agreed that Kahoot! helped them with reinforcement and recall of the in-class learned vocabulary. Kahoot! was also found to contribute to students' self-regulated learning. Furthermore, students agreed that playing Kahoot! is useful regardless of whether it is played in-class or out-of-class. Finally, significant difference was recorded between the control and the experimental group in pre- and post-test scores, suggesting that Kahoot! has a potential to enhance adult EFL learners' vocabulary enhancement in out-of-class learning context.
Investigating the English for specific purposes needs of political science and international relations students
The aim of this study is to investigate the English language learning needs of a group of students receiving an ESP course, the challenges and the problems these students may encounter in their ESP course, and the extent to which the present ESP course fulfil their learning needs in the Political Science and International Relations department at the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences (FEAS), Çukurova University in Adana, Turkey. This study was carried out in the fall semester of 2019-2020 Academic Year. A mixed-method research design was adopted, and the data was collected through questionnaires and interviews. The participatns of the present study can be divided in two different groups. The first group was composed of 24 under-graduate students and one English instructor who had the interview. The second group included 97 undergraduate students who attended ESP courses in their second year and responded to the questionnaire. At the time of the study, ESP was a compulsory course in the Political Science and International Relations department at Çukurova University. The research was conducted in two phases with the participation of the two groups. In the first phase of the study, the ESP program was evaluated using interviews conducted with 24 undergraduate Political Science and International Relations Department students and an ESP course instructor in order to find out whether the ESP program was effective in meeting the students' learning needs and expectations. In the second phase, a questionnaire was conducted with 97 students who were in the second year of their undergraduate education. The research data was analysed in two stages. In the first stage, the qualitative data collected through from the written open-ended interview questions was subjected to descriptive analysis. In the second stage, the quantitative data obtained from the Likert-scale questionnaire were analyzed using SPSS Version 23, and descriptive statistics were used to calculate mean and standard deviation scores. Findings suggest that students who participated in the present study are well aware of their learning needs, and that they have clear expectations from the ESP course. The participants believe that ESP course contributed to the development of language skills, including vocabulary knowledge and pronunciation. However, it was also found that students experienced some challenges and problems in performing various language skills, and they were dissatisfied with the course materials used.