International Association of Educators   |  ISSN: 2834-7919   |  e-ISSN: 1554-5210

Volume 11 Issue 2 (June 2015)

Issue Information

Issue Information

pp. i - vi

Abstract

Keywords:

Original Articles

Mobbing and Stress

Erkan Yaman

pp. 6 - 13

Abstract

Mobbing is an important construct which has impact on the numerous psychological variables. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationships between mobbing and stress. Participants were 436 teachers (206 (55%) were female, 230 (45%) were male) from Sakarya, Turkey. Their ages ranged from 26 to 55 years and the mean age of the participants was 35.2 years. In this study, the Mobbing Scale and the Stress subscale of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale were used. The relationships between mobbing and stress were examined using correlation analysis and the hypothesis model was tested through structural equation modeling. Data were analyzed by LISREL 8.54 and SPSS 11.5. In correlation analysis, humiliation, discrimination, sexual harassment, communication barriers sub- dimensions of mobbing were found positively associated with stress. Hypothesized model was examined via structural equation modeling (SEM). And also accounted for 11% of the stress variance. According to path analysis results, stress was predicted positively by humiliation, discrimination, sexual harassment, and communication barriers. This research shows that mobbing has a direct impact on the stress.

Keywords: Stress, mobbing, structural equation modeling

A Critical Look at the EFL Education and the Challenges Faced by Iranian Teachers in the Educational System

Parvin Safari & Nasser Rashidi

pp. 14 - 28

Abstract

The ultimate aim of any EFL program is to promote long life language development in learners and prepare them for the language use in real life communicative situations. However, many educational systems all over the globe might not achieve this end. Actually, a number of factors within or beyond any system can influence the success or the failure of the language curriculum. In the case of the educational system of Iran, a critical look reveals the fact that despite a great amount of investment  and expenses on the part of the government for so long, it is yet unable to generate proficient learners. Keeping this issue in mind, the researcher as the teacher educator teaching in an in-service class held through the Education Organization of Yazd, Iran could uncover the teachers' views and perceptions accordingly. Using currere and collaborative dialogue, the researcher in this qualitative study  attempted to explore the challenges faced by teachers in addition to the potential factors leading to the current failures of the language curriculum in the system. The insightful findings of this study can be of great assistance to policy makers, textbook writers, and teacher educators to take critical actions towards the betterment and fruitfulness of the EFL program in our education system.

Keywords: language development, language curriculum, currere, collaborative dialogue

Creating Meaningful Experiences for Pre-Service Teachers: Thoughts and Experiences on an Elective Course

Duygu Sönmez

pp. 29 - 38

Abstract

This study investigates the effectiveness of an elective course titled, “Microteaching in Teacher Education” (MiTEc) which is offered to the 3rd and 4th year pre-service science teachers. This course aims to provide pre-service teachers with meaningful experiences and prepare them for real-classroom settings. During the study, qualitative methodology was employed and face-to-face semi structured interviews and focus group discussions were used as the means of data collection with the  participation of 23 pre-service science teachers. All the data was transcribed and content was analyzed to identify emerging themes. MiTEc was found to have a positive influence for pre-service teachers in improving their teaching skills, observations skills, self-confidence and self-awareness, which then  also had a positive impact on other courses. The ability to connect theory with practice was one of the major benefits of the course.

Keywords: Microteaching, pre-service science teacher, teacher education, video use

Learning Styles and Problem Solving Skills of Turkish Prospective Teachers

Ilke Evin Gencel

pp. 39 - 56

Abstract

Global changes in educational discourse have an impact on educational systems, so teacher education programs need to be transformed to better train teachers and to contribute to their professional development. In this process learning styles and problem solving skills should be considered as individual differences which have an impact in transformative and lifelong learning. In this context, this study aims to investigate the learning styles and problem solving skills of individuals training to become teachers. All participants (N=887) are education students at a state university in Turkey. This study revealed that the converging learning style was the most common among our sample of teacher candidates. Additionally, the learning styles of our participants did not differ in accordance with gender or academic department and the problem solving scores of all participants fell within the intermediate level range. Within this intermediate range, however, students who possessed the converging learning style tended to have higher scores on the problem solving measure than students possessing the other learning styles.

Keywords: Learning styles, problem solving skills, prospective teachers, teacher training

Prospective Mathematics Teachers’ Opinions about Mathematical Modeling Method and Applicability of This Method

Levent Akgün

pp. 57 - 75

Abstract

The aim of this study is to identify prospective secondary mathematics teachers’ opinions about the mathematical modeling method and the applicability of this method in high schools. The case study design, which is among the qualitative research methods, was used in the study. The study was conducted with six prospective secondary mathematics teachers who were taking a “teaching practice” course. In the “Teaching Practice” course, mathematical modeling method was introduced to these selected prospective teachers and activity examples appropriate to this method were presented to them. Then, the prospective teachers prepared examples similar to the activity examples that were presented to them, and they implemented these examples in the schools where they served their internship. The semi-structured interview and observation forms were used as data collection tools in the study. An attempt was made to identify prospective secondary mathematics teachers’ opinions about mathematical modeling method and the applicability of this method via interviews, whereas an attempt was made to identify their efficacy in application the mathematical modeling method via observations. Descriptive analysis and content analysis methods were used in analyzing the data. In view of the study, it was found that many of the prospective teachers correctly understood what mathematical modeling meant, but they were not able to fully implement this method in classrooms. When the prospective teachers’ opinions about classroom applications of the mathematical modeling method were examined, it was observed that the reasons for the experienced difficults are the fact that there was not enough time and classroom management was difficult. As for the positive aspects of mathematical modeling, the prospective teachers stated that the mathematical modeling set forth the applicability of mathematics in daily life. Furthermore, all prospective teachers stated that they consider featuring problems that involve this method in their own courses in the future, but some of them stated that they would not be able to use it since its application is difficult and time consuming.

Keywords: Mathematical Model, Mathematical Modeling, Prospective Mathematics Teacher

Assessing E-Learning Tools in an Academic Environment: A Study of Availability and Use among Undergraduate Students in a Nigerian University

Goodluck Ifijeh, Ifeakachuku Osinulu, Ugwunwa Esse, Egbe Adewole-Odeshi, & Michael Fagbohun

pp. 76 - 87

Abstract

This study investigated the availability and use of e-learning tools as emerging paradigms in Covenant University, Nigeria. The study population comprise of 7000 undergraduate students, out of which  1000 was used as sample. Questionnaire was used as data collecting tool for the study. A total of five hundred and eleven questionnaires were filled and returned. The study revealed that an appreciable number of e-learning tools were available and in use in the University. Notable among them is an electronic learning management system – Moodle. Most of the respondents (61.8%) indicated that  they used the e-learning tools mostly for downloading lecture notes. The study further revealed that there was no significant relationship between students’ level of study (class) and their use of  e- learning tools. Also, no significant relationship between use of e-learning tools and academic performance was established. Majority of the respondents (54%) identified inadequate internet access as the biggest challenge to students’ use of e-learning platforms. The study was concluded with recommendations that could enhance the use of e-learning platforms in Universities in Nigeria.

Keywords: E-learning, Undergraduates, Covenant University, Nigeria, E-learning platforms, Universities

Reasons of Teachers for Applying for Graduate Programs and Their Expectations from Programs

Berrin Burgaz, & Seval Kocak

pp. 88 - 107

Abstract

This study aims to find out teachers’ motivation for applying for graduate programs and to explore their expectations from the programs and their ideas regarding the necessity of such programs for teachers. The paper is based on a qualitative research method and draws its data from focus group interviews. The study used the criterion sampling method which is categorized under purposive sampling for the selection of participants. The participants are 20 teachers who wish to apply for graduate programs in the Institute of Education Sciences. Descriptive analysis has been used for the interviews whereas for the quantitative expression of the data, content analysis has been employed. The findings show that teachers want to pursue graduate education for reasons of professional and personal development as well as for personal/social reasons. Teachers also believe that they could compensate the insufficient in-service training with graduate programs and state that they could access higher quality training and education through graduate programs. The study also reveals that teachers are not only interested in courses of their own specialized field but they also want to take broader courses such as management, research methods, and history or philosophy.

Keywords: Graduate Programs for Teacher, Teacher Expectations, Professional Development

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