Investigation of the psychological resilience of teacher candidates in terms of sense of humor and life satisfaction

The aim of this study is to examine the psychological resilience in teacher candidates in terms of sense of humor and life satisfaction. Correlational research model was used in the study. The dependent variable of the research is psychological resilience and independent variables are sense of humor and life satisfaction. The research was carried out on 427 teacher candidates between the ages of 18-27, 318 females (74.5%) and 109 males (25.5%). The Resilience Scale for Adults, The Multidimensional Sense of Humor Scale, The Satisfaction with Life Scale and Personal Information Form were used to collect data. Descriptive statistics, independent groups t-test, variance analysis, Pearson correlation coefficient and hierarchical regression analysis were used to analyze the data. When the findings of the study are analyzed, it is seen that psychological resilience in terms of gender differs significantly in favor of female teacher candidates. A positive relationship was found between teacher candidates' psychological resilience and sense of humor. In addition, a positive relationship was found between psychological resilience and life satisfaction. Looking at the findings, it is seen that the variables of sense of humor and life satisfaction predict psychological resilience significantly. The findings were discussed according to the literature and various suggestions were presented.

Why can't we do it as teachers: English language teaching from the perspectives of secondary school teachers

The purpose of this study is to discover the issues in teaching English from the perspective of teachers. The qualitative method was employed in the study by using semi-structured interview forms to 19 teachers from a central Black Sea region province of Turkey. The teachers highlighted the impact of learning-teaching process, teacher training, teacher-stakeholder relationship and students during the study. According to the teachers, students' prejudices against foreign language learning, interest in the subject, awareness of the importance of language learning, speaking skills, participation in the lesson and the environment they take the courses affect the language learning process. Nevertheless, the reasons for the problems are a lot more complex than this. The students are also need to be supported by the education system, by the parents and by teachers in this process. For instance, the results shows that there is a need for activities that will make students more active, and more suitable environments and materials (i.e. books) are needed for English language teaching. Also, the teachers need to the support of parents, administrators, and the other teachers to become more efficient. This research once again reveals the importance of interrelation of all factors and stakeholders as well as students' willingness and thoughts in teaching English.

What are the expectations of parents from preschool education institutions: Why do they choose? What are they waiting for?

The goal of this study was to investigate the expectations of the parents with a child enrolled at a preschool education institution from preschool education institutions. This research was designed as a survey study. The sample of this study consisted of 326 children, enrolled at preschool education institutions in the center of Usak province, and their parents. "Parents' Expectations from Preschool Institutions Questionnaire" developed by Simsek and Ivrendi (2014), and "Demographics Information Form" were used as data collection tools to determine the expectations of parents from preschool education institutions. It was concluded as a result of the study that the parents had a "low level" expectation related to the sub-scales of (teacher, education-family, school policy, informing) of the Parents' Expectations from Preschool Institutions Questionnaire. A significant difference in favor of males was found out in the informing sub-scale according to the t-test results carried out related to parents' expectations in line with the gender of children. The expectations of parents from preschool institutions showed a significant difference according to income status. It was found out that the expectations of families with low income level from preschool institutions were higher compared to the expectations of families with middle- and high-income levels regarding the sub-scales of teacher and education-family.

Investigation of regulatory role of collective teacher efficacy in the effect of job satisfaction and satisfaction with life on professional burnout

This study examined the effect of job satisfaction and satisfaction with life on perceptions of teachers' professional burnout and the regulatory role of collective teacher efficacy perception by conducting applied research on teachers who work in different educational settings. The measuring tools were "Maslach Burnout Inventory", "Short Form Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire", "Satisfaction with Life Scale" and "Collective Teacher Efficacy Scale". The findings of the research showed that: Teachers' perceptions of job satisfaction and satisfaction with life negatively affected their perceptions of professional burnout. Collective teacher efficacy had a regulatory effect on the relationship between satisfaction with life and professional burnout, and on the relationship between job satisfaction and professional burnout.

Predictors of the challenges faced by beginning teachers: Pre-service teacher education competency and professional commitment

The purpose of this study is to determine to what level beginning teachers' perceptions concerning the competency of pre-service teacher education and their professional commitment predict the challenges they face. This study was conducted with 942 beginning teachers working at İstanbul, Konya, Gaziantep and Van provinces in Turkey. The data were collected with the scale of challenges faced by beginning teachers, teachers' perceptions scale concerning the competency of preservice teacher education and teachers' professional commitment scale developed by the researchers. Descriptive statistics, MANOVA, Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient and stepwise regression analysis were used for data analysis. As a result of the study, it was found that beginning teachers face challenges at moderate level in their first year. Furthermore, it was found that three variables ("relations with students, colleagues, administrators, parents and society", "teaching planning and implementation " and "commitment to the profession") are significant predictors explaining approximately one third (%30.4) of the variance concerning the challenges faced by beginning teachers.

Investigation of the correlation between childhood trauma, psychological well-being, and altruistic fear of crime of mothers with children aged three to six years

Childhood is the period during which physical and mental development is extremely rapid from the first years of life. Furthermore, many basic factors affecting the future lives of individuals start to be shaped. The child's future life, psychological well-being, and quality of life are negatively affected by the exposure to unwanted situations by the family or the environment during this period. As a matter of fact, behavior patterns exhibited by individuals during adulthood are thought to be correlated with childhood traumas. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between the altruistic fear of crime, psychological well-being, and childhood traumas among mothers with children aged three to six years. A cross-sectional correlation research design was used for this study. The sample of the study consisted of 214 volunteer mothers, whose children were attending a private preschool education institution in the city center of Gumushane province of Turkey during the 2019/2020 academic year. The research data were collected using "Personal Information Form", "Childhood Trauma Questionnaire", "Altruistic Fear of Crime Scale" and "Psychological Well-being Scale". Data were analyzed using t-test, ANOVA, and correlation analysis. The results of the research showed that the age of the mothers, birth order, presence of any family member receiving psychological support, and marital satisfaction caused significant differences. Furthermore, scores obtained from "Personal Information Form", "Childhood Trauma Questionnaire", "Altruistic Fear of Crime" and "Psychological Well-being Scale" were found to be significantly correlated.

What predicts Swedish teachers' disposition for text talk: A survey study

The significance of reading comprehension can hardly be overestimated. Nevertheless, teachers vary in their disposition or willingness to teach reading comprehension. A wealth of field experimental studies have confirmed the importance of text talk, in class or in teacher-guided small groups, for students' reading comprehension. However, researchers have not yet fully explored what makes teachers practice text talk in the classroom. This study aimed to describe and predict teachers' disposition to practice text talk. The study posited two hypotheses based on professional development theory and social capital theory. The data came from a survey study of 320 Swedish teachers (of grades 1 to 12). The study used (a) item response estimation for measurement and (b) linear regression for analysis. It was found that attitudes towards professional development varied with disposition for text talk, on average, after adjusting for other predictors. It was furthermore found that social capital varied with disposition for text talk, on average, after adjusting for other predictors. The conclusion is that the data offer support for both teacher development theory and social capital theory.

Training of undergraduate preschool teachers in Montessori education in Slovakia and the Czech Republic

The paper presents a description and comparison of the undergraduate student teacher training and kindergarten teacher continuing education in the Montessori Method of Education encompassed in formal education in Slovakia and the Czech Republic. The theoretical part of the paper aims at depicting Montessori education, still an attractive pedagogical direction in both countries, in a thorough, unconventional and innovative way. Even though Montessori education has been rooted worldwide for centuries, in Slovakia and the Czech Republic it presents relatively new alternative education, considering that an integrated school system, introduced in these countries in 1948 and lasting almost to the end of20thcentury, did not allow the use of other alternatives in addition to the mainstream education. A description of (preschool) education in both countries and an analysis of kindergarten teacher's personality and his/her lesson plans are included in the theoretical part of the paper. The empirical part contains pedagogical research of qualitative design, conducted in Slovakia and the Czech Republic in order to identify and map the current state, level and possibilities of formal education of pre-service and in-service teachers in Slovak and Czech kindergartens.

Lesson study: Investigation of English teachers' planning behaviors and preparation activities for English tasks in social construction practice

The aim of the study is to identify and explain preparation activities of three English teachers in lesson study process. The English teachers dealt with activities such as setting objectives, building content, organizing classroom practices and identifying success criteria for learning objectives and reflection in three different lesson study cycles based on social constructivism for about 5 months. In this study, the single case study design was adopted. Criterion sampling method was used to determine the participants. The group-based activities of teachers were repeated in each research lesson at different subjects and different grades. Instead of preparing a new format of the existing lesson plan in each research lesson, the participants prepared new lesson plans for each research lesson. The data were obtained by class observation, camera recordings, interview, and document examination of the lesson plans. It was observed that the teachers made more qualified decisions in planning teaching tasks and there were positive changes in their planning skills and teaching practices in the process in lesson study cycle.

Technology based teaching and learning in junior high school

Integrating technology in teaching junior high school motivates, capacitates and prepares the 21st century learners in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The use of technology to enhance instruction enables the learners to be productive. This study ascertained the effectiveness of using technology in teaching Junior high school in the public schools. The study employed QUAN-QUAL methods for data gathering. The participants of the study were informed on the objectives of this study and their rights in the conduct of the study. To validate the data gathered, focus group discussion was conducted. Results revealed that the use of technology improves performance. Teachers' productivity skills and the ability to use technology were enhanced as they utilized ICT in instruction. Thus, the junior high school learners were technology literate and acquire the 21st century skills.