Variation among schools on classroom practices in science based on TIMSS-1999 in Turkey

2007-12-01
Aypay, Ahmet
Erdogan, Mehmet
Soezer, Mehmet A.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences among schools using student responses in the Trends in Mathematics and Science Study-1999 (TIMSS-99) data. Schools were classified into two groups based on eighth grade students' overall achievement in science. Two different discriminant function analyses were performed to distinguish high- and low-performing schools, based both on classroom practices and factor structures (student-centered activities, teacher-centered activities, attitudes toward technology use, socioeconomic status [SES], and doing well in science). The results indicate that there were significant differences between the two classifications of schools on ten variables regarding classroom practices and activities, and 29 variables regarding classroom practices, attitudes toward science, use of the computer and overhead projector (OHP), parental background characteristics, and need to do well in science. Contrary to general expectations, technology use (computer, OHP, etc.) was found to be negatively related to science achievement. Teachers should be trained on how to use technology in their classrooms. Turkey recently revised its curriculum to a student-centered approach and this might increase students' ability to transfer knowledge into real life. Teachers and schools should pay more attention to SES effects. Teachers should also work toward building students' confidence in science. (c) 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN SCIENCE TEACHING

Suggestions

A case study on the aspects of classroom discourse in a fifth grade mathematics class in a regional elementary boarding school
Şahin, Şule; Işıksal Bostan, Mine; Department of Elementary Science and Mathematics Education (2009)
The purpose of this study was to analyze and interpret specific aspects and characteristics of classroom discourse of an elementary mathematics classroom. To examine the classroom discourse, a fifth grade mathematics classroom was observed during sixteen weeks, and twenty lessons in total. The analysis was based on two main categories: (1) Student Learning and (2) Teacher Moves. Student Learning further divided into two sub-categories as content and learning. Additionally, Teacher Moves also divided into co...
The effects of problem-based learning method on 9th grade students’ achievement in geometry
Apaçık, Mükerrem; Bulut, Safure; Department of Secondary Science and Mathematics Education (2009)
The purpose of the study was to determine the effects of problem-based learning (PBL) on 9th grade students’ geometry achievement. The study was conducted in a rural town of Ankara with 44 ninth-grade high school students. The randomized pretest-posttest control group design was used. The experimental group was instructed with hybrid PBL and the control group was instructed with traditional teaching methods. The treatment was given for 4 hours every week for a total of six weeks. Geometry Achievement Test (...
A Model for Doctoral Students' Perceptions and Attitudes Toward Written Feedback for Academic Writing
Can, Gülfidan (Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2011-08-01)
The purpose of this study is to investigate social science doctoral students' perceptions and attitudes toward written feedback about their academic writing and towards those who provide it. The study culminates in an explanatory model to describe the relationships between students' perceptions and attitudes, their revision decisions, and other relevant factors in their written feedback practices. The investigation used a mixed methods approach involving 276 participants from two large mountain west public ...
Relationship between Turkish elementary science teachers occupational well being and some contextual and demographic characteristics A multivariate analysis
YERDELEN, SÜNDÜS; Sungur, Semra; KLASSEN, Robert (Turkish Education Association, 2016-01-01)
The purpose of this study was twofold: first, to determine the Turkish elementary science teachers' occupational well-being profile and second, to investigate the relation of science teachers' occupational well-being to some contextual and demographic characteristics. The contextual variables included class size, years of teaching experience and weekly course hours, while demographic characteristics included gender, graduated faculty, marital status, and having children. Moreover, occupational wellbeing was...
An İnvestigation of the teaching-learning process based on multiple intelligence theory in a high school biology course
Presley, Arzu İrfan; Aşkar, Petek; Department of Secondary Science and Mathematics Education (2005)
This study sought to investigate the effects of multiple intelligences based instruction (MIBI) and learning styles on ninth graders̕ attitudes toward biology, biology achievement, and overall multiple intelligences. This experimental research was conducted in the second term of 2002-2003 educational year in Ereğli high school. The sample involved in the study consisted of 64 students from the two different ninth grade classes taught by the same teacher. One class was assigned as the experimental group in w...
Citation Formats
A. Aypay, M. Erdogan, and M. A. Soezer, “Variation among schools on classroom practices in science based on TIMSS-1999 in Turkey,” JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN SCIENCE TEACHING, pp. 1417–1435, 2007, Accessed: 00, 2020. [Online]. Available: https://hdl.handle.net/11511/66451.