Spelling Pronunciation versus Relaxed Pronunciation in Foreign Language Teacher Education

Accurate pronunciation is an important part of learning any language, and especially when non-native students are trained to be English language teachers. Good pronunciation is more than just mastering individual sounds since it also requires understanding intonation, stress, pitch and junctures. In this respect, first things first, two functional issues come to the stage: Spelling pronunciation versus relaxed pronunciation. Spelling pronunciation depends on the use of a pronunciation that is based on spelling that includes common pronunciation of the silent vowel and consonant letters. The converse of spelling pronunciation is pronunciation spelling which produces the creation of a new spelling form on the basis of pronunciation. In this study, the contrastive positioning of spelling pronunciation versus pronunciation spelling in English words, phrases, clauses, and sentences will be analyzed to train the English teachers.

Factors Affecting Students’ Academic Achievement according to the Teachers’ Opinion

The aim of this research is to reveal the ideas of teachers serving in high schools regarding the factors that affect students’ academic achievement. For this purpose, the aim is to investigate and reveal in depth the thoughts of teachers serving in high schools. The research was designed with the case study type of qualitative research method. The study group of this research consists of 11 female, 9 male branch teachers employed in high schools. The participants’ professional experience ranged from 1 to 13 years. The participant group consisted of 5 Turkish language and literature teachers, 5 mathematics teachers, 3 English teachers, 2 history teachers, 1 biology teacher, 1 information technology teacher, 1 chemistry teacher, 1 physics teacher and 1 physical education teacher. The study group was determined with the criterion sampling type of purposive sampling method. The criteria determined for this research were that teachers should be working in high schools, be branch teachers and be serving in schools in the province and district. According to the research findings family education level effects students’ academic success in terms of academic support, being a role model, concern, intellectual and motivation dimensions; school’s physical conditions effects students’ academic success in terms of learning, motivation and creativity; School Management effects students’ academic success in terms of operation and attitude. School Environment effects students’ academic success in terms of motivation, social effects and socio-economic effects. Teacher effects students’ academic success in terms professional competence, being a role model, communication, attitude, motivation and guidance.

Analyzing of The Relationships Between Attitudes Towards Teaching Profession, Reflective Thinking and Individual Innovativeness

In this study, the degree to which reflective thinking tendencies and individual innovativeness predicted prospective teachers’ attitudes towards teaching profession was investigated. In this study, relational survey model was conducted. The study was composed of 510 prospective teachers from 12 different universities in Turkey. In this study, “Reflective Thinking Tendency Scale (RTTS)”, “Individual Innovativeness Scale (IIS)” and “Attitude Towards Teaching Profession Scale (ATTPS)” were utilized. “Pearson Momentler Correlation Coefficient” and “Multiple Linear Regression Analysis” were conducted in the correlational and regression analysis. It was found out that there was a strong positive meaningful correlation between prospective teachers’ attitudes towards teaching profession, their reflective thinking tendencies and individual innovativeness. It was also found that there was a strong positive meaningful correlation between reflective thinking tendencies and individual innovativenes.

Examining the Mentoring Process in Collaborative Project-based Learning of Preservice Instructional Technology Teachers

The main purpose of this study was to investigate how special education knowledge and practice can be expanded through mentoring activities. In this respect, an interdisciplinary one-to-many mentorship study with Collaborative Project-based Learning (CPBL) was conducted. The mentors were Special Education faculty members who guided preservice teachers from the Instructional Technology department. During this guiding process, the preservice teachers developed animations for teaching daily life skills to students with intellectual disability (ID). The study followed a mixed-methods sequential explanatory design. This current study showed that mentoring with CPBL can be effective in equipping both mentors and mentees with a variety of skills. Specifically, mentoring can be an effective process for preservice teachers to construct context-specific knowledge in educating students with special needs. The study’s quantitative findings showed that the mentors were successful during the mentoring process.

Investigating the Relationship Between School Effectiveness Professional Learning Communities and School Culture: Context of Teacher Characteristics

This study aimed to test the relationship between school culture (SC), professional learning communities (PLCs), and school effectiveness (SE) in the correlational research model through structural equation modeling. The sample of the study consisted of a total of 358 teachers working at public schools in various provinces of Turkey. Thus, data from a total of 355 teachers were analyzed. In the analysis of the data, the mediator and direct role of the variables were examined through path analysis. Finally, the fourth study hypothesis examined the relationship between these three variables and teacher characteristics. In general, the study results revealed that a supportive, achievement-oriented, and task-oriented SC was important for SE and the exhibiting of PLCs behaviors. In this context, it can be argued that paying attention to these cultural components and applications, which turn teachers into a PLCs, is of significance in making schools effective.

The Relationship Between Secondary Schools Students' Perceptions of School Climate, Their School Belonging And Their Academic Achievement

The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between secondary school students' perceptions of school climate, their school belonging and their academic achievement. This descriptive study uses the correlational survey model. The participants were 340 sixth and seventh graders at a secondary school in the 2007-2008 academic year. To this end, the students were administered the School Climate Scale and the School Belonging Scale, and the average of their first term grades was used as a measure of academic achievement. This study found no significant difference between the students' perceptions of school climate and their school belonging by gender and grade. However, a significant differences were found between the students' perceptions of school climate and their school belonging, and their perceptions of school climate, school belonging and their academic success.