An investiation of visual reading and visual presentation skills of the elementary school fifth grade Turkish course program in the light of teachers? point of views

In this research, the aim is to analyze visual reading and visual presentation skills of the elementary school fifth year Turkish course program in the light of teachers? point of views. The study also aims at developing suggestions in line with teachers? perspectives about acquisition of visual reading and visual presentation skills.To determine opinions about teachers? the visual reading and the visual presentation skills in the program of Turkish course, a descriptive study was designed as a cross hatching model. There were two techniques used for data collection; which were quantitative and qualitative methods. To begin with, an example of the quantitative research was done in Seyhan and Yüreğir, Adana, in the 2007-2008 of academic year. There were one hundred fifty instructors, teaching the fifth grade and they worked at forty seven elementary schools. The schools were chosen by grouping method. Second, these schools were categorized into three groups as low-mid-high. Then, forty seven elementary schools were chosen by the survey. Among those, seven of them was decided as they were easily accessible.In this research, a questionnaire form developed by researcher was used. There were three sections. The first section included six questions about personal information about participants. The second section had twenty seven questions about earning visual reading and skills of the visual presentation (acquisition, activities, methods and techniques, tools, measurement and evaluation) which were included in the Turkish course program. The last section had twenty one questions about acquiring visual reading and skills of the visual presentation, aiming to investigate teachers? point of views.The semi-structured interview form including twelve questions was developed by the researcher. The interview questions were based on visual reading and visual presentation skills; attainment, student activities for acquiring these skills, the changes that visual reading and visual presentation skills made on students, on Turkish course and on the classroom atmosphere.In this research, quantitative data were calculated in terms of frequency, percentages and arithmetic mean. Data were calculated on the computer with appropriate packet programme. Content analysis was conducted on the qualitative data.The result of the study showed that most of the teachers said that students enjoyed visual reading and visual presentation skills and these skills increased interest towards Turkish lesson and helped for retention of skills. They also added that these skills helped students for experimential learning. Nearly all of teachers thought that visual reading and visual presentation skills increased students? self-confidence and helped them to develop their expression skills through interrogating, criticizing, interpreting visuals. The teachers explained that they usually experienced difficulty in measurement-assesment and equipment/class materials during their implementation of visual reading and visual presentation skill activities because of socio-economic status differences among students. As a result, the teachers emphasized that they did not find themselves efficient in teaching visual reading and visual presentation skills but these skills attainment were needed for students and teachers needed to be informed about these skills.Keywords: Visual Reading, Visual Presentation, Teachers? ViewsABSTRACTAN INVESTIGATION OF VISUAL READING AND VISUAL PRESENTATON SKILLS OF THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FIFTH GRADE TURKISH COURSE PROGRAM IN THE LIGHT OF TEACHERS? POINT OF VIEWSArmağan KURUMA Thesis, Department of Elementary EducationSupervisor: Assist. Prof. Dr. Faruk YILDIRIMSeptember, 2008, 308 pagesIn this research, the aim is to analyze visual reading and visual presentation skills of the elementary school fifth year Turkish course program in the light of teachers? point of views. The study also aims at developing suggestions in line with teachers? perspectives about acquisition of visual reading and visual presentation skills.To determine opinions about teachers? the visual reading and the visual presentation skills in the program of Turkish course, a descriptive study was designed as a cross hatching model. There were two techniques used for data collection; which were quantitative and qualitative methods. To begin with, an example of the quantitative research was done in Seyhan and Yüreğir, Adana, in the 2007-2008 of academic year. There were one hundred fifty instructors, teaching the fifth grade and they worked at forty seven elementary schools. The schools were chosen by grouping method. Second, these schools were categorized into three groups as low-mid-high. Then, forty seven elementary schools were chosen by the survey. Among those, seven of them was decided as they were easily accessible.In this research, a questionnaire form developed by researcher was used. There were three sections. The first section included six questions about personal information about participants. The second section had twenty seven questions about earning visual reading and skills of the visual presentation (acquisition, activities, methods and techniques, tools, measurement and evaluation) which were included in the Turkish course program. The last section had twenty one questions about acquiring visual reading and skills of the visual presentation, aiming to investigate teachers? point of views.The semi-structured interview form including twelve questions was developed by the researcher. The interview questions were based on visual reading and visual presentation skills; attainment, student activities for acquiring these skills, the changes that visual reading and visual presentation skills made on students, on Turkish course and on the classroom atmosphere.In this research, quantitative data were calculated in terms of frequency, percentages and arithmetic mean. Data were calculated on the computer with appropriate packet programme. Content analysis was conducted on the qualitative data.The result of the study showed that most of the teachers said that students enjoyed visual reading and visual presentation skills and these skills increased interest towards Turkish lesson and helped for retention of skills. They also added that these skills helped students for experimential learning. Nearly all of teachers thought that visual reading and visual presentation skills increased students? self-confidence and helped them to develop their expression skills through interrogating, criticizing, interpreting visuals. The teachers explained that they usually experienced difficulty in measurement-assesment and equipment/class materials during their implementation of visual reading and visual presentation skill activities because of socio-economic status differences among students. As a result, the teachers emphasized that they did not find themselves efficient in teaching visual reading and visual presentation skills but these skills attainment were needed for students and teachers needed to be informed about these skills.Keywords: Visual Reading, Visual Presentation, Teachers? Views