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The Relationship between learning strategies and oral performence of Turkish EFL graduate science students in preparatory programs
ABSTRACT Title : The relationship between learning strategies and oral performance of Turkish EFL graduate science students in preparatory programs Author: Sedat Özseven Thesis Chairperson: Ms. Patricia Brenner, Bilkent University, MA TEFL Program Thesis Committee Members: Dr. Linda Laube, Dr. Dan Tannacito, Bilkent University, MA TEFL Program This study investigated the possible relationship between learning strategies and oral performance of Turkish graduate science students. A total of 62 EFL graduate science students participated in the study. The participants were given a questionnaire which identified their learning strategy preferences. Rebecca Oxford's Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL) Version 7.0 was used as the questionnaire. After students filled out the questionnaire they were interviewed so that they could be given a score for their oral performances, evaluated with the John Test, an oral proficiency test developed by ESL teachers at City University of New York. Finally, learning strategy scores and oral performance scores of the participants were compared through simple linear regression. This statis tical procedure was found appropriate since the researcher had sought a possible relationship between the dependent variable (oral performance) and the independent variables (learning strategies). The study had two hypotheses and two research questions. The first hypothesis was that among EFL learners those who apply more strategies to their learning have higher oral performances than those learners employing fewer strategies. Analysis of the data rejected the first hypothesis. The second hypothesis was that students who demonstrate use of more direct strategies have higher oral performances than those who use more indirect strategies. Analysis of the data confirmed this hypothesis and it was found that cognitive and compensation strategies correlated positively with higher oral performance than metacognitive, memory, or affective strategies. The p_ value for cognitive strategies was p_ < 0.005 and for compensation strategy it was p < 0.025. The first research question was about learning strategy preferences of EFL graduate science students. Analysis of the data revealed that students used compensation, metacognitive, and social strategies with a62 students, 16 reported using compensation strategies, 29 metacognitive strategies, and 12 social strategies. The second research question investigated the relationship between learning strategies and oral performances of EFL learners. Statistical analysis of the study indicated that there was not a direct relationship between the frequency of the use of learning strategies and oral perform ance.
A Case study of the practicum component in an ELT deparment in Turkey
ABSTRACT Title: A case study of the practicum component in an ELT Department in Turkey Author: Nuray Lük Yılmaz Thesis Chairperson: Ms. Patricia Brenner, Bilkent University, MA TEFL Program Thesis Committee Members: Dr. Linda Laube, Dr. Ruth Yontz, Bilkent University, MA TEFL Program The focus of this study is the practicum course in an ELT Department. The study is descriptive and data is collected through a questionnaire and interviews. The first goal of the study was to obtain a picture of the practicum and to describe the existing model of the practicum course in the ELT Department at the Middle East Teacnical University, Ankara, Turkey. The second goal was to identify the problems which exist in the practicum. Previous studies on the practicum in Turkey were used as a basis for developing questions for the questionnaire. These questions are related to the motivation of student teachers, observation focus, and the relationship between the student teachers and their supervisors as well as their cooperating teachers. A questionnaire was created and administered to all 46 student teachers taking the practicum course in the ELT Department at METU. Following this, five student teachers as well as three supervisors were interviewed. The interview questions were prepared in order to more deeply explore some of the responses given in the questionnaire. The findings reveal that student teachers are motivated and that they have positive ideas about their supervisor and cooperating teachers. The student teachers do not have a particular area to focus on when they observe other teachers teach. There are also no systematic follow-up discussions to these observations. Other problems which came up are mainly related to the time allocation of the practicum, the lack of opportunities for the student teachers to experience teaching, the attitudes of the administrators in the cooperating high schools, and the workload of the student teachers and the supervisors.
The Mentoring service at a Turkish preparatory school
ABSTRACT Titles The mentoring service at a Turkish Preparatory School Author: Türküm cankatan Thesis Chairperson: Ms. Patricia Brenner, Bilkent University, MA TEFL Program Thesis Committee Members: Dan J. Tannacito, Ruth A. Yontz, Bilkent University, MA TEFL Program This descriptive, qualitative study attempted to investigate the different sorts of difficulties Turkish EFL learners have at BUSEL (Bilkent University School of English). Mentor- mentoree interactions were examined in order to find out learner's problems. Mentor-mentoree conferences were analyzed according to the proficiency levels of students. A total of 14 Turkish EFL students and two mentors, 1 British and 1 Turkish teacher, participated in the study. Five illustrative cases were used to finalize the results. At the end of the study, a categorization system was formed. This system basically defined the types of difficulties BUSEL students have and showed variations according to the students' different proficiency levels.
Privatization in Turkey: Changing perceptions and methods of a decade
ABSTRACT Decreasing the role of state in economics generally and of public sector particularly has been a fashionable policy means since the 1980s, being implemented in both developed and underdeveloped countries. Among the developing countries, Turkish experience in privatization has been initiated timely, yet it has been implemented discontinuously due to serious political obstacles. Appearing first on the policy agenda of the Motherland Party in 1983 and being a party of the "Neo-Liberal Economics" initiated with the January 24 Measures, privatization has been undertaken continually, but not continuously in Turkey up until today. However, the privatization of the 1990s differ from the 1980s in terms of its methods, objectives and assumptions. Although there are some similarities, privatization in the 1990s reflects the ideologies of the new coaHtion-government formed by the True Path Party and Social Democratic Populist Party in 1991. The second term of this coalition under the leadership of Tansu Çiller gave birth to a polarization and various confrontations about privatization even among the coalition partners which came to surface particularly after the April 5 Measures. The main purpose of this study is to analyze the Turkish privatization experiences both in the 1980s and 1990s, trying to show the similarities and differences by focusing on the changing perceptions about this particular policy in order to draw some lessons for future prospects.
The relationship between introversion-extroversion and the composing process
The relationship between introversion- extroversion and the composing process Author: Aynur Baysal Thesis Chairperson: Ms. Patricia Brenner, Bilkent University, MA TEFL Program Thesis Committee Members: Dr. Arlene Clachar, Dr. Phyllis L. Lim Bilkent University, MA TEFL Program The focus on learners in second -and foreign- language learning has revealed that the personality traits of students are related to their success and performance in the target language. Research on personality traits of learners has shown that certain behavioral characteristics may inhibit or foster learning. This study dealt with the personality traits of introversion-extroversion with respect to composing in the foreign language. This process was examined by looking at the strategies involved in prewriting, planning, composing, and rescanning. The hypothesis that there is a relationship between introversion- extroversion and the composing process was tested. The study was carried out with six subjects - three extroverts and three introverts. These subjects were selected according to their results on the Maudsley Personality Inventory (Eysenck, 1970). After this, the subjects were asked to write a composition on which they were going to be graded. They were observed in the process of composing and an observation form was completed by the teacher and the researcher (see Appendix B).The results show that there are some similarities as well as differences between introverts and extroverts concerning the stages involved in the composing process. The prewriting time of introverts was found to be longer than that of extroverts (3.5 and 1.5 minutes, respectively). The planning behavior (which was a strategy observed in the prewriting stage) was the same for both groups, that is, they both did their planning mentally and in writing. With respect to the composing stages, introverts, with a mean length of 65 minutes, used a longer time to compose than did extroverts with a mean of 44.3 minutes. During this time, subjects paused and asked questions and rescanned. These behaviors also showed some differences. The pausing frequency of the introvert group had a mean of 22.3, whereas the extroverts had a mean of 17.3. The questions which were addressed directed to the teacher during composing were different with respect to their nature and frequency of occurrence. Introverts, having an inhibited personality (Mischel, 1973), asked fewer questions (M = 2.6) than extroverts (M = 6.3), who are considered to be uninhibited. The nature of the questions which were asked were also different. Extroverts tended to ask more content-based questions, whereas introverts focused on the precise meaning of words. The rescanning stage of the different groups shows that introverts focus more on form-based issues and mechanics while correcting, whereas extroverts simply correct and reread with the aim of rephrasing ideas rather than correcting minormistakes. This study also showed that introverts tried to avoid including personal information when the task is school-sponsored. They stated that they usually focus on the organizational patterns of the composition rather than on specific ideas and content. Extroverts, on the other hand, stated that they like including personal information and do so, whether the task is school- sponsored or not. The findings of this study suggest a relationship between introversion-extroversion and the composing process in the second and foreign language. It was suggested that more studies on the relationship between introversion and extroversion and other language skills be carried out in order to provide a more indepth understanding of the role that personality factors play in second- and foreign-language learning.
T.S. Eliot'ın "Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock", "Portrait of a Lady", "La Figlia Che Piange" ve "The Waste Land" şiirlerinde aşkın başarısızlığı
ABSTRACT "Failure of love in T.S. Eliofs Poems: 'Love Song of O. Alfred Prufrock', 'Portrait of A Lady', La Figlia che Piange' and The Waste Land' by MİNE ÖZ YURT M. A. in English Literature Advisor: Sam Baskett February, 1994 This dissertation aims at pursuing the failure of love theme in T.S. Eliot's above mentioned poems. In the Introduction, poetry of Eliot, who is one of the most outstanding figures of Modernist Poetry, and the historical-social facts which influenced his poetry are discussed In the light of the phenomena, which appeared during the First World War and the industrialization, such as human isolation, lack of communication, disbelief in traditional beliefs and thoughts, how Eliot revealed the failure of love theme in his poems is studied In the Conclusion, It is pointed out that Eliofs characters, each in his/her prison, are unable to speak and communicate; these silent characters hopelessly look for love which does not exist any more.
A Needs analysis for the ESP Classes at the tourism education department of the trade business and tourism education faculty of Gazi Üniversity
ABSTRACT Title: A needs analysis for the ESP classes at the Tourism Education Department of the Trade Business and Tourism Education Faculty of Gazi University. Author: GUltekin Boran Thesis Chairperson: Dr. Phyllis L. Lim, Bilkent University, MA TEFL Program. Thesis Committee Members: Dr. Arlene Clachar, Ms. Patricia J. Brenner Bilkent University, MA TEFL Program. Needs analysis is crucial for ESP (English for Specific Purposes) curriculaxbecause it provides valuable data in order to set the goals, objectives, and aims of a curriculum and contributes to the appropriateness of a curriculum for students' needs and purposes. Johns (1991) emphasizes the importance of needs analysis for ESP curricula, and states that ESP practitioners should develop new techniques to reveal the language tasks the learners will have to perform in their target situation instead of guessing at learners' target needs. The students of the Tourism Education Department of the Trade Business and Tourism Education Faculty of Gazi University in Ankara, Türkiye, take 4-6 class hours of English per week for tourism purposes. The lecturers who are in charge of teaching ESP at the department write their syllabuses and select the course materials depending only on their intuitions about the students' communication needs in their future work domain. However, according to the results of preliminary informal interviews, these students are generally unsuccessful in communicating with their foreign interlocutors in English in the job settings where they do their summer apprenticeships. Therefore, considering that the learners' purposes in learning English and the communication requirements of the situation in which the learners will use English should be revealed, this study attempted to reveal the students' perceptions of their communication needs, as wellas the ESP lecturers' and the tourism subject lecturers' perceptions of the students' communication needs. This study also attempted to reveal whether what is provided for the students in ESP classes at the Tourism Education Department meets what is required by the students' future work domain. In this study, data were collected from three different subject groups by means of three versions of the questionnaire. The subject groups consisted of 100 students, 10 tourism subject lecturers, and 3 ESP lecturers from the Tourism Education Department. The most notable finding gathered from the responses of the students and the ESP lecturers show that the students did not practise frequent or effective speaking and listening activities in their ESP classes although all subject groups assumed that speaking and listening were the most important language skills in the students' future work domain. Despite this agreement, there were also discrepancies among the subject groups' perceptions of some issues. For instance, the students and the tourism subject lecturers considered translation the least important language skill, whereas ESP lecturers saw translation the third most important language skill for the students' target situation, after speaking and listening. It is hoped that the findings of this study will be useful in designing a curriculum for the ESP classes at the Tourism Education Department of Trade Business and Tourism Education Faculty of Gazi University.
Türkiye'nin Ortadoğu'ya yönelik dış politikasında değişim ve durağanlık
This thesis is a study on change and stability in Turkish foreign policy towards the Middle East. Kjell Goldmann' s theory on change and stability in foreign policy is applied to Turkish foreign policy towards the Middle East. It is argued that since the mid-1960s, Turkish foreign policy towards the Middle East has been stabilized; there have been no changes in the policy except for adjustment changes. In this study, the stability in Turkish foreign policy towards the Middle East is explained with the help of thirteen foreign policy stabilizers presented within the framework of Kjell Goldmann' s theory. IV
Bir Türk üniversitesinde öğrencilerin öğrenme stratejileri seçimi ve akademik başarı arasındaki ilişki ve öğrenme strateji seçimi ile ilgili faktörler
ABSTRACT Title : The relationship between learning strategy choice and academic success, and the factors related to learning strategy choice of EFL undergraduate students in a Turkish University. Author: Dilek Kaya Thesis Chairperson: Ms. Susan D. Bosher Bilkent University, MA TEFL Program Thesis Committee Members: Dr. Teri S. Haas, Dr. Phyllis L. Lim, Bilkent University, MA TEFL Program This present study investigated the factors that could relate to learning strategy choice of students and the relationship between learning strategy choice, overall level of strategy use, and language classroom academic success. Seventy upper- intermediate Turkish students learning English as a foreign language (EFL) participated in the study. There were 15 female and 55 male students in the study. The research was conducted at Çukurova University Foreign Language Teaching Center (YADIM). In this correlational study the researcher used Oxford's (1990) Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL) Version 7.0 to identify students' learning strategy choice, that is, the most frequently used strategy group. The present study considered three questions. The first research question was about strategy choice, and analysis of data revealed that for the largest number of students (47.1%), the most frequently used strategy group was compensation. For the remaining students the most frequently used strategies were as follows: metacognitive(27.1%), cognitive (8.6%), social (8.6%), affective (5.7%), and memory (2.9%). The second question was the relationship of other factors with learning strategy choice and total strategy use of students. The researcher tried to find out if students' departments, gender, and educational background were related to the learning strategy choice and total strategy use. The results revealed that all of the learning strategy choices were significantly correlated with each other and with total strategy use. However, there were no significant relationships between students' departments and educational background and learning strategy choice or overall level of strategy use. However, there was a positive relationship between gender and the choice of compensation strategies with females (M = 3.91) using them more often than males (M = 3.33). The third question was the relationship between learning strategy choice and language classroom academic success. Academic success was measured by an achievement test prepared by the testing office at YADIM. The researcher used multiple regression to see which learning strategy choices might predict their language classroom academic success. The only significant predictor was metacognitive strategies, which predicted academic success in a negative way. This means that the fewer metacognitive strategies the learners used, the more successful they were.
Türkiye'de yabancı dil olarak İngilizce dersi alan bir sınıftaki öğrencilerin motivasyon, endişe, kendine güven ve dışa dönüklük, içe dönüklük durumları ile sınıf içinde aktif derse katılımları arasındaki ilişki
Title: The relationship of motivation, anxiety, self- confidence, and extroversion/introversion to students' active class participation in an EFL classroom in Turkey. Author: Meral Kaya Thesis Chairperson: Dr. Phyllis L. Lim, Bilkent University, MA TEFL Program Thesis Committee Members: Ms. Susan D. Bosher, Ms. Bena Gul Peker, Bilkent University, MA TEFL Program This study was designed to explore the relationship of affective variables, specifically motivation, anxiety, self- confidence, and extroversion/introversion to students' active class participation in an EFL classroom in Turkey. This study was conducted at Middle East Technical University Preparatory school. The subjects were 21 Turkish EFL students at the upper- intermediate level of proficiency. The data were gathered by using two instruments : a questionnaire assessing the strength of these affective variables in individual students, and classroom observation to determine the extent of their class participation. Three research questions were asked in this study. The first question concerned the relationships among motivation, anxiety, self-confidence, extroversion/introversion, and class participation. Pearson product -moment correlation was used to determine the strength of those relationships. The study revealed that there was a strong relationship among each of the variables mentioned above. The highest correlation was between self-confidence and anxiety, butcorrelated negatively (r=-.83, £=.000). The lowest one was between motivation and anxiety, and again they correlated negatively (r=-.50, p_=.022). Nevertheless, all variables correlated highly with each other. The second research question dealt with the relationship of motivation, anxiety, self-confidence, and extroversion/introversion to active class participation. The strongest correlation was between self-confidence and participation (r=.74, p_=.000); the lowest one was between anxiety and participation, with a negative correlation (r=.-61, p.=.003). Squared correlation coefficients (r2) were calculated to determine the amount of variance in class participation that could be explained by each of these variables. Results of this procedure indicated that all the affective variables in this study have an important relation to students' active class participation. The highest variance was between self-confidence and participation (r2=54%) ; the lowest one was between anxiety and participation (r2=37%). The last research question investigated to what extent the affective variables used in this study predict classroom participation. Multiple regression was used to determine the answer to this question. The results showed that there was no single predictor among the affective variables, although the total amount of variance explained by all of them was a very strong 60%. When the two variables with thelowest correlations with participation were taken out of the regression equation, self-confidence emerged as the single most important predictor of class participation, and together with motivation accounted for 59% of the variance. The findings of this study indicate that motivation, anxiety, self-confidence, and extroversion/introversion together have a strong relationship to students' active class participation. It can thus be claimed that motivated, self-confident, and extroverted students participate more than unmotivated, anxious, and introverted students. As a conclusion, this study will fill the gap in the literature about the relationships among the affective variables included in vthis study and class participation. In addition, this study suggests the need for teachers to consider the importance of affective factors in understanding the dynamics of students' participation in the classroom.