Developing exam preparation skills in teaching turkish as a foreign language: An training programme

The aim of this study is to develop a practical educational module based on the training needs of instructors working in the field of teaching Turkish as a foreign language, specifically in exam preparation, and to measure the impact of this module on the instructors' exam preparation skills. The current competencies of the instructors in exam preparation were identified through a qualitative literature review, and the data collected from this review were used to design an educational module. This module was implemented with 36 instructors working in the field of teaching Turkish as a foreign language. To determine the effect of the educational module on the instructors' perception of their own competencies and their exam preparation performance, a self-efficacy questionnaire and an exam preparation success test were administered before and after the experimental interventions. Additionally, data on the instructors' opinions of the program were collected using a semi-structured interview form. The data gathered regarding the educational module were analyzed using both quantitative and qualitative methods. The research, designed using a mixed-method approach, employed an explanatory sequential mixed design, which is one of the mixed-method designs. The study group was determined using a purposive sampling technique consisting of 47 instructors from various Turkish language teaching centers who voluntarily participated in the training. The quantitative data were analyzed using the SPSS 23 software. In the analysis, an independent samples t-test was used for comparisons of unrelated groups, and a paired samples t-test was used for related group comparisons. One-way ANOVA was employed for the comparison of more than two unrelated groups, and Pearson correlation analysis was used to determine the relationships between the dependent variables. The qualitative data were analyzed through document analysis. The results of the study indicate that the exam preparation skills of the instructors were at a moderate level before the training and showed significant improvement following the educational module. In particular, noticeable developments were observed in the instructors' technical skills (validity, reliability, preparation of specification tables) and item writing abilities. The educational module positively impacted both the instructors' self-assessment levels and their exam preparation performance. However, it was also found that instructors still require additional training, especially in the use of alternative assessment tools. Moreover, variables such as educational background, professional experience, and prior training in assessment had a limited effect on the instructors' exam preparation skills. The educational module contributed to the development of these skills, independent of these variables. The study concludes that educational modules can be effective in improving instructors' exam preparation skills, but long-term and repeated training is necessary to ensure the sustainability of this improvement. Furthermore, it was revealed that there is a discrepancy between the instructors' self-assessments regarding exam preparation and their actual performance. In conclusion, this research presents an effective educational model for enhancing exam preparation skills in teaching Turkish as a foreign language and highlights the need for more practical and continuous training to address the challenges instructors face in the exam preparation process. Recommendations for further applications to improve the exam preparation skills of instructors are provided.