An Investigation of Conflict Resolution Strategies for the Students of Elementary School Teacher Education Study in Online Learning during the COVID-19 Pandemic

This study aims at identifying various types of conflicts experienced by students of elementary school teacher study program during online learning of elementary social studies learning courses during the COVID-19 pandemic, and determining the strategies they used to resolve conflicts they encountered . This study uses a descriptive research method with a survey design. The research participants were 4th semester students of the PGSD study program in a private university in the West Java region, totaling 243 that consisted of 182 female students and 61 male students. The instruments used in this study were interviews that were used to identify the conflicts experienced by students during online learning, and closed questionnaires that were distributed to determine the strategies used to resolve the conflicts; which were analyzed descriptively. Based on the data obtained from the interviews, it was revealed that the conflicts experienced by students during online learning were completing group assignments, bullying between students, discriminatory attitude, and acknowledging/taking goods/works of others without asking permission. Meanwhile, based on the data obtained from the questionnaires regarding the students' strategies in resolving conflicts, it was found that students used cooperative strategies in resolving these conflicts.

Analysis of Turkish Science Education Curricula's Learning Outcomes According to Science Process Skills

This study aims at analyzing the learning outcomes of the 2018 science education curricula in Turkey according to science process skills. Learning outcomes are statements that describe what a learner will know, understand, and/or be able to do after completing a learning process. Learning outcomes were evaluated using document analysis which is a qualitative research method. There were 269 learning outcomes analyzed from the curricula . The science learning outcomes in the curricula which are prepared by the Turkey Ministry of National Education, were examined, starting from fourth-grade to eighth-grade levels. The results show that the least common science process skills are “measuring” and “hypothesizing” dimensions, while the most common are “data interpreting” and “inferring” dimensions. The highest science learning outcomes are at the seventh-grade level, and the least science learning outcomes are at the fifth-grade level. As the grade level increases, it is seen that more learning outcomes represent higher-level skills. The number of basic science process skills of the fourth-grade level learning outcomes is higher than the number of integrated science process skills, and the number of integrated science process skills is high in learning outcomes at all other grade levels.

The Effect of the 5E Learning Model Supported with Material Ensuring Conceptual Change on Science Achievement: The Example of “Heat and Temperature”

This study seeks to examine the effect of the 5E learning model, as one of the constructivist learning approach models, supported by conceptual change texts and enriched with relevant guidance materials on eliminating the fifth-grade students' (n=42) misconceptions about "Heat and Temperature". A quantitative research approach was employed by conducting the pre-test and post-test quasi-experimental design of the non-equivalent groups, namely the experimental and control groups. Before the implications, the Heat and Temperature Achievement Test (HTAT) was used to determine the academic achievement levels of the students in the experimental and control groups in the topic of heat and temperature. The pre-test results between both group students did not find a significant difference. There was a significant difference in favor of the experimental group between the HTAT post-test results. From the results obtained within the scope of the study, it was concluded that this learning model was effective in eliminating the fifth-grade students' misconceptions about the topic of heat and temperature.

Examination of Primary School Students' Exam Success in terms of Controllable Variables by Logistic Regression Analysis

This descriptive research using the relational screening model aims at examining the controllable variables that affect students' exam success. In this research, the problems of whether the time spent by the students with their families, having a study desk or room at home, having a library at home and the time spent on digital screens affect student success. The research study group consists of third- and fourth-grade students from 20 primary schools in various provinces of Turkey, selected by a convenient sampling method in the years 2020-2021. Variables with the achievement evaluation exam were prepared by the field teachers for the student's exam scores and controlled by the expert teachers. The data obtained in the research were analyzed assisted by the SPSS program with descriptive and logistic regression analysis. The research results concluded that students who have a room or a desk at home, have a library at home, spend quality time at home with their family in the evenings, and feel happy at home can increase student success in primary schools.

Developing Scientific Practices in Primary School: Benzene Ring Heuristic (BRH) Application

This study aims to develop primary-school students’ understanding of the scientific practices in the Benzene Ring Heuristic (BRH) and to determine how BRH applications would affect student perceptions about science, scientific knowledge, and scientists. An interpretative qualitative research design was used in the study. The study group consisted of 9 fourth-grade students (6 girls, 3 boys) in a public primary school. To identify the students’ thoughts and perceptions about science, scientific knowledge, and scientists, the study employed open-ended questions as well as the “Draw-a-Scientist Test”. In addition, a poster activity was used to determine how well students understood the scientific practices in the BRH. The drawing test results showed that students drew scientists in general as female, young, most often with a neat-looking physical appearance in enclosed areas mainly representing a laboratory environment, and who is experimenting. An analysis of the posters produced by the students as part of the BRH suggested a certain amount of improvement. These results have educational implications and should be helpful for teachers and teacher educators to better understand the effects of using BRH in science education.

5th-grade Students' Misunderstandings and Misconceptions about Fungi

The fungi kingdom is among the important topics of biology, and students can develop misunderstandings and misconceptions about this subject.This study aims to determinemisunderstandings and misconceptions of 5th-grade students about fungi. The participants of the study consisted of 22 (12 girls, 10 boys) fifth graders of an elementary school in Erzurum city center, which was determined by the convenience sampling method. In this qualitative study, a 'semi-structured interview form' was used. The form includes 16 open-ended questions prepared following the learning outcomes of the curriculum. The data collected in the study were subjected to descriptive analysis and the findings were presented by calculating the frequency and % values. The findings indicate that the students have misunderstandings and misconceptions on the structure of mold, yeast, and fungi, their feeding, whether they are alive, their classification, reproduction, living conditions, etc.At the end of the study, some suggestions were made on the teaching of the biology concepts with examples from daily life, usage of visual elements during teaching, more laboratory applications. It is also suggested that similar studies should be implemented with different grade levels and sample groups.

Do Geometry Self-Efficacy and Spatial Anxiety Predict the Attitudes Towards Geometry?

Self-efficacy and spatial anxiety towards geometry are stated to be effective to improve teachers' attitudes towards geometry. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the effect of geometry self-efficacy and spatial anxiety on attitude towards geometry. This determines the extent to which the pre-service primary school teachers’ geometry self-efficacy and spatial anxiety predict their attitudes towards geometry. The study used the cross-sectional survey model and the sample was determined with the convenience sampling method. The sample consists of 165 pre-service primary school teachers attending a state university. To collect the data, the geometry self-efficacy scale, the spatial anxiety scale, and the geometry attitude scale were used. Multiple regression analysis was conducted in the data analysis to explain the predictors of the attitude towards geometry. It was found that the pre-service teachers’ geometry self-efficacy beliefs and spatial anxiety were high while their geometry attitude was medium. Their geometry self-efficacy positively and significantly correlated with the attitude towards geometry and negatively and significantly correlated with spatial anxiety. While the sub-dimensions of geometry self-efficacy; positive self-efficacy beliefs, use of geometry knowledge, and negative self-efficacy beliefs had positive effects on the attitude towards geometry, spatial anxiety had a negative effect on the attitude towards geometry.

Investigation of Prospective Preschool Teachers’ Beliefs about Mathematics Teaching and Learning

Preschool teachers' beliefs about mathematics are crucial for qualified mathematical learning environments because children need to develop mathematical concepts based on their level of mathematical knowledge. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to determine prospective preschool teachers' beliefs about mathematics teaching and learning and to examine the effect of different variables on these beliefs. This research involved 884 prospective preschool teachers as the research sample at three state universities in Turkey. A belief Scale on mathematics teaching and learning was used as a data collection tool. The results showed that prospective teachers had positive beliefs about mathematics teaching. Moreover, there was a significant difference on prospective teachers’ beliefs in accordance with grade levels. On the other hand, according to the type of prospective teachers’ high school graduation, there was a significant difference in favor of prospective teachers who graduated from vocational high schools in the “mathematical learning” and “nature of mathematics” sub-scales of the scale.

Enhancing Narrative Writing Skills of Elementary School Teacher Education Students through Concentrated Language Encounter (CLE) Model Assisted by Short Film Learning Media

This research aims at improving the narrative essay writing skills of elementary school teacher education students through Concentrated Language Encounter (CLE) learning activities assisted by short film learning media by employing a quasi-experimental nonequivalent group design. The subjects were all primary teacher education students in West Java, with a sample of 31 elementary school teacher education students in Cimahi City as the experimental class, and 31 Madrasah Ibtidaiyah teacher education students in Bandung City as the control class. The results of the post-test research showed that the average skill of writing narrative essays in the experimental class was 81.10, while the control class obtained an average of 66.32. While the test results of the average N-gain difference in writing narrative essay skills with 2-tailed sig were 0.000 with a significance level of less than 0.05. These findings revealed that there was an increase in the writing narrative essay skills of elementary school teacher education students through the application CLE Model assisted by short film learning media. This research is expected to facilitate lecturers/teachers to teach narrative essay writing skills by optimizing all language skills through the CLE model assisted by short film media.

Teachers’ and Gifted Students’ Views Regarding the Implementation of the DSC in the COVID-19 Distance Education Process

Teachers and students had to use distance education environments due to the COVID-19 pandemic that suddenly emerged globally. This research aims at obtaining the views of gifted students who took the differentiated science curriculum (DSC) and teachers who conducted the DSC on the distance education process. The research was designed as a case study. Twelve seventh-grade gifted students (aged 11-12), a researcher teacher, and an observer teacher participated in the research. Student diaries, teacher diaries, and online focus group interviews were used to collect data, which were then analyzed with thematic analysis. It was observed that the students had parallel expectations and goals to the DSC at the beginning of the process. Moreover, they had positive and negative views on the distance education process. The students stated that they achieved their DSC goals at the end of the process and generally had positive experiences. On the other hand, the teachers drew attention to the problems arising from the educational environment, students, and curriculum in the distance education process. These problems were like communication, technical issues, lack of motivation, and timing. At the end of the process, the teachers suggested solutions to the problems.