Learner emotions matter greatly for foreign language (L2) learning. However, negative learner emotions, such as anxiety, have vastly overshadowed positive ones, like enjoyment, in L2 research for decades. Echoing the need for more holistic and balanced insights into emotions, this study probed into how foreign language (classroom) anxiety (FLCA/FLA) and foreign language enjoyment (FLE) jointly predict foreign language self-efficacy (FLSE). The study further investigated the mediating role of FLE in the link between FLCA and FLSE. Data were collected from 285 tertiary-level students learning English as a foreign language (EFL) in Türkiye, using a composite survey. Correlation coefficients revealed a strong positive link between FLE and FLSE, a moderate negative link between FLCA and FLSE, and a small negative link between FLCA and FLE, all at significant levels. Structural equation modeling results demonstrated that FLCA negatively impacted FLSE, both directly and indirectly through partial mediation of FLE. Therefore, boosting FLE in foreign language learning settings can both help enhance students’ FLSE and partially mitigate the negative influence of FLCA on FLSE. Pedagogical implications are offered to foster emotionally supportive learning environments by maximizing enjoyment, thereby promoting higher self-efficacy and buffering the disruptive impact of heightened anxiety in L2 classes. These include providing topic and task alternatives based on student needs and interests, using regular student feedback sessions, and implementing enjoyment-focused pre- and in-service teacher education practices to optimize enjoyment in L2 classes.
Textbook activities play a central role in determining the cognitive opportunities offered to students and in translating curriculum expectations into classroom practice. This study aimed to evaluate the activities in Grade 5 and Grade 6 mathematics textbooks in terms of cognitive demand levels and TIMSS cognitive domains. Cognitive demand was classified as Memorization and Procedures Without Connections at the low level, and Procedures With Connections and Doing Mathematics at the high level. TIMSS cognitive domains were categorized as Knowledge, Application, and Reasoning. Using document analysis, 257 activities, including 124 Grade 5 and 133 Grade 6 activities, were examined. The findings showed that high-level cognitive demand activities constituted 60.5% of Grade 5 activities and 88.7% of Grade 6 activities. Procedures With Connections was the most frequent category at both grade levels, accounting for 54.8% of Grade 5 activities and 78.9% of Grade 6 activities. Doing Mathematics activities were less frequent, representing 5.6% of Grade 5 activities and 9.8% of Grade 6 activities. In Grade 5, high-level demand was particularly prominent in Algebraic Thinking with Operations and Geometric Shapes, whereas Numbers and Quantities included a higher proportion of low-level activities. In Grade 6, high-level demand was dominant across all learning areas, and no activity was classified as Memorization. Regarding TIMSS cognitive domains, Reasoning was the most frequent domain in both Grade 5 (41.1%) and Grade 6 (85.0%). Overall, the findings indicate that the textbooks provide substantial opportunities for conceptual understanding and mathematical reasoning, although activities requiring open-ended and non-algorithmic mathematical inquiry remain comparatively limited.
This study presents a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of global research on social competence and social adjustment in children published between 1980 and 2025. The dataset was systematically retrieved from the Web of Science (WoS) Core Collection and analyzed using the Bibliometrix R-package within the RStudio environment to ensure methodological rigor and analytical consistency. The final dataset comprises 1,077 publications distributed across 531 scientific sources, including peer-reviewed journals, books, and conference proceedings, and authored by 6,084 unique researchers. Authorship patterns reveal a highly collaborative research structure, with an average of 6.94 co-authors per document and an international collaboration rate of 31.1%, indicating a strongly globalized and networked research field. The average document age of 3.86 years reflects the contemporary and dynamic nature of the literature, while the field demonstrates a steady expansion with an annual growth rate of 7.59%. In terms of document typology, research articles (n = 698) constitute the dominant publication format, followed by reviews (n = 154) and proceedings papers (n = 150), alongside smaller numbers of book chapters, editorial materials, and other document types. Overall, this bibliometric mapping offers an integrative overview of the intellectual structure, collaboration patterns, and publication dynamics of research on children’s social competence and social adjustment, providing a robust foundation for identifying emerging trends and guiding future research directions in the field.
This study aims at exploring a change in English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) education by means of transforming traditional teacher-centered methods into a more engaging and agentic approach utilizing the Linguistic Landscape (LL), defined as visible displays of language components in a context. This new framework can be viewed as a driver on the way to fostering learner agency and the 4Cs of skills. The study highlights the LL as a key tool for developing learner agency and important 21st-century skills in a university setting. It closely examines a 14-week project where 98 ELF preparatory students from two state universities in Türkiye acted as language detectives, investigating their semiotic environments. The study integrated collaboration, communication, and creativity through group fieldwork, LL content creation, and presentations. Designed as exploratory qualitative research, the data were gathered using an online survey, reflection journals, and informal interviews. The findings show positive results from this project in terms of students` points of view related to LL. Given that, the students started to recognize LL around them as valuable tools for effective learning instead of seeing these language manifestations as meaningless letters. The results also revealed that ELF learners became active participants in their own learning environments rather than being just passive receivers of information when they engaged with LL-based materials. Moreover, data explored that the intervention systematically promoted the 4Cs of 21st-century skills: critical thinking was encouraged as students deconstructed the functions and grammatical correctness of English across various contexts (e.g., commercial clothing vs. practical menus) and conveyed nuanced perspectives on its sociocultural impact as well as they were collaborating and communicating with their peers. These findings point to the fact that LL-based pedagogy should be considered a crucial component of a contemporary ELF curriculum, designed to empower students as active, critical, and collaborative communicators in the complex language environments surrounding them.
This study aims to determine the motivation of Russians working at Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant towards learning Turkish. The study group consists of 17 female and 19 male employees working at Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant. A mixed research method was preferred in the study, and data were collected using the Motivation Scale for Learning Turkish as a Foreign Language. The data obtained were analyzed using SPSS 22 software and content analysis techniques, and the results were discussed, tabulated, and interpreted with field experts. It was determined that the motivation of the Russians working at Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant to learn Turkish was high, and the total scores they received from the motivation scale did not differ significantly according to gender, age, educational status, place of residence, course-taking status, and language level. It has been determined that the effect of business life is high among the reasons that push Russians to learn Turkish, and that they want to learn Turkish for a better job. It is also clearly stated that the study will contribute to the literature and guide future studies.
Four-Square Writing Method helps organize thoughts; it is a process-based method that supports and promotes the writing process by allowing the creation of thoughts, supporting and concretizing them. In this study, the effect of the four-square writing method on students' writing skills, attitudes, and anxiety in their written expressions was examined. The research was designed according to the quasi-experimental design with a one group pre-post test. In the study group in the research consists of a total of 80 students studying in Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal University undergraduate (40) and associate degree (40) programs in the 2022-2023 academic year. According to the results of the research, this method did not have a significant effect on the positive development of undergraduate students' written expression, attitudes, and concerns, but it significantly improved the written expression skills, attitudes, and concerns of associate degree students. Students stated that this method improved their writing skills, imagination, and thought production and transfer, increased their vocabulary, enabled them to create meaningful paragraphs, and reduced their writing anxiety. Regarding its negative aspects, they mentioned that it is boring, time-consuming, challenging, tiring, and has limited subject matter. They stated that this method would be more effective if the keywords were given to the students in advance and the frequency of study and variety of topics were increased. briefly and concisely. Based on these results, it was concluded that writing skills can be developed in a process-based manner with different methods in mother tongue education.
The present study was conducted to determine participant experiences regarding interdisciplinary outdoor education applications within the scope of a science camp project. Designed as a qualitative case study, the research involved 64 participants, including 30 students, 22 parents, and 12 project team members. Data were collected through open-ended questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and student diaries, and analyzed using descriptive analysis. The findings revealed that the outdoor science camp significantly enhanced students’ understanding and perception of science by encouraging curiosity, active engagement, and the ability to view science as an interdisciplinary and real-life process. Students’ conceptualizations evolved from abstract and technical terms to more reflective and integrated ideas, as evidenced by their use of scientific imagery in drawings, including tools, natural elements, and representations from various scientific disciplines. The camp environment promoted emotional awareness, cognitive development, and key skills such as communication, teamwork, and problem-solving through enjoyable and hands-on learning experiences. Students frequently associated science with nature and demonstrated increased environmental sensitivity. They also reported high levels of satisfaction from engaging in collaborative, play-based, and discovery-oriented learning activities. Furthermore, feedback from instructors and counsellors emphasized the program’s effectiveness in fostering student growth and professional learning for educators. The program was noted for offering authentic learning experiences and supporting interdisciplinary thinking. However, some challenges were identified, including the intensity of the activity schedule, weather conditions, and the need to address diverse student backgrounds and learning needs. Overall, the science camp provided a meaningful, engaging, and multidimensional learning experience that enriched participants’ views of science and its role in everyday life.
This study aims to identify the informal learning resources of middle and high school students and to examine the effects of certain individual, familial, and environmental socio-demographic variables on their İnformal learning opportunities (ILOs). The sample of the study consisted of 1,310 students from grades 5 to 10 in a province located in eastern Türkiye. This survey-based study collected data through the Informal Learning Opportunities Test (ILOT), and the data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square, independent samples t-test, and ANOVA. In addition to the statistical analyses, effect size values were also calculated to assess the practical significance of the results. The results of this study revealed that middle and high school students predominantly engaged in informal learning through easily accessible sources within their immediate environments. While the results showed no significant differences in students’ ILOs based on gender, notable variations were observed according to grade level, place of residence, living arrangements during the school term, family’s economic status, and parents’ education levels and occupations. Nevertheless, the effect size values calculated based on the statistical results showed that the differences associated with living with family, family’s economic status, father's education level, and mother's occupation were not practically significant. In contrast, the results of the study revealed that among the variables examined, grade level, place of residence, mother's education level, and father's occupation had a practically significant moderate effect on students’ ILOs. Based on these results, it is recommended that educational policies and school practices take into account students’ grade levels, places of residence, mothers’ educational levels, and fathers’ occupations in order to enhance their access to ILOs.
Artificial intelligence is employed regularly in many different fields. Artificial intelligence applications in educational settings have become commonplace, particularly in recent years. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate how educators felt about the use of AI in classrooms. The study was conducted with teachers working in different types of schools in a provincial center in Türkiye's Eastern Black Sea region. The qualitative research strategy used the case study method to perform the study. The study's subjects were chosen to maximize variety. Fifteen elementary and middle school instructors took part in the survey. Seven open-ended interview questions that the study's researchers created were used to gather data for the investigation. Using this data collection tool, researchers collected the study's data. Through content analysis, the study's data were examined comprehensively. According to this research, most teachers with different branches and experiences participating in the study stated that artificial intelligence would make the education process efficient and facilitate and accelerate the education process. In contrast, some of them stated that it would make students lazy. In addition, teachers stated that artificial intelligence will contribute to their professional development, but they need training to use it. Suggestions include conducting studies like this with teachers working at different school levels and other education stakeholders, as well as training teachers in this field.
As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly integrated into education, its role in the assessment of writing skills has emerged as a significant area of research. This study investigates the reliability and consistency of a custom-built, GPT-based model specifically designed to evaluate B1-level English opinion paragraphs. A dataset consisting of 40 texts (20 written by students and 20 generated by AI) was evaluated across six separate sessions. In the first three sessions, the model assigned scores based on a standard rubric. In the remaining three sessions, it was prompted to re-evaluate its own scores based on reflective questions that suggested it might have “overestimated,” “underestimated,” or “overestimated or underestimated” the original score; thus introducing positive, negative, and neutral reflective prompting. Guided by six research questions, the study examines the internal consistency of the model and its responsiveness to such reflective prompting. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) indicated excellent reliability across all conditions (ICC > .94). Predictable changes were observed in scoring behavior depending on the prompt direction, particularly in rubric components involving higher-order cognitive skills (i.e., content and organization), whereas grammar and vocabulary scores remained stable. Although the limited sample size constrains the generalizability of the findings, these findings demonstrate that AI-based scoring is not only reliable but also adaptable to metacognitive prompts, offering valuable insights for scalable, rubric-aligned assessment models. The study highlights that GPT-based tools can serve not only as dependable evaluators of student writing but also as instruments that promote self-assessment, support rater training, and foster more equitable feedback in educational settings.
This study aims to examine digital inequalities among students in the Faculty of Education who participated in asynchronous video-based distance education during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research investigates students' basic and qualitative access to information and communication technologies (ICT), their perceived ICT skills, and their views on how ICT factors affect distance education, with respect to gender, household income, and place of residence. Adopting a cross-sectional research model, the study was conducted with 501 students from the Faculty of Education at a state university in Turkey’s Central Anatolia region. Research findings revealed that students from low-income households or rural areas predominantly used smartphones to follow their courses. More than half of the participants had internet connections with low or medium speeds, and a significant portion had limited (quota-based) internet usage. The perceived ICT skills of Education Faculty students were found to be at a good level, suggesting that second-level digital inequalities are less pronounced in this population. No statistically significant difference was observed in perceived ICT skills scores by gender. Furthermore, students living in rural areas had significantly higher perceptions regarding the impact of ICT factors on distance education compared to those living in urban centers. The results indicate that first-level inequalities related to basic access to ICT remain the primary challenge for pre-service teachers, particularly those from rural and low-income backgrounds, despite their adequate perceived ICT skills. This suggests that policy efforts should prioritize addressing fundamental access issues in asynchronous video-based distance education, particularly during crisis periods.
This research aimed to develop a Teacher Autonomy Scale (TAS) to determine teachers' perception levels of autonomy. This study aimed to create a measurement tool that can measure teachers' educational and teaching duties and management duties in a single dimension. TAS was applied to teachers at different branches working in the Küçükçekmece District of Istanbul Province in the 2023-24 academic year, and the analysis phase was conducted using the collected data. The participants of the study were selected according to the convenience sampling method. The trial form of the 28-item scale was applied to 201 teachers. The item pool was examined by three measurement and evaluation experts, three teachers, three school administrators, a Turkish language expert, and a 28-item trial form of the scale was created. The trial form of the scale was created as a five-point Likert-type rating scale with response options of strongly agree, agree, undecided, disagree, and strongly disagree. A preliminary application study was conducted with 40 teachers working in different branches. As a result of the trial application, the final version of the scale, consisting of 15 items, was obtained with expert opinions. The reliability and validity studies were carried out on the remaining 198 teachers. As a result of exploratory factor analysis (EFA), a single-factor structure consisting of 15 items was obtained, and the unidimensional factor explains a total variance of 57.896%. Then, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted with a different sample of 348 teachers to test the structure revealed by EFA. All factor loadings in the CFA model were determined to be statistically significant (p<.05). Fit indices calculated with CFA show that the scale is valid and reliable enough to be used for different sample groups. The factor structure of the TAS was confirmed as one factor named ‘Teachers' autonomy within the classroom and school’. As a result of the reliability analysis of the final form of the scale, the alpha coefficient was found to be .89.
This study aimed to develop a valid and reliable scale to assess the attitudes of primary school students toward innovation. The research was conducted with data from 733 third- and fourth-grade students in the Marmara Region. Designed as a descriptive study, the research employed exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses to evaluate the data. Initially, a literature review examined the concept of innovation and how it could be measured appropriately for children. Based on the findings, a pool of 44 items was created using a five-point Likert scale (ranging from strongly disagree to agree strongly). After expert reviews and a pilot study, this pool was refined to 38 items. The exploratory factor analysis results indicated that the scale consisted of four factors: Curiosity, Self-Confidence, Alternative Usage, and Creativity. These factors accounted for 55.66% of the total variance. Each factor included three items, with factor loadings exceeding 0.30, which supported the construct validity of the scale. The confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the model demonstrated excellent goodness-of-fit values. Findings from the second-order CFA confirmed the relationship between the factors and innovation and showed an excellent fit. As a result, this study developed a valid and reliable instrument for measuring the attitudes of primary school students toward innovation. The scale is anticipated to help understand students' tendencies toward innovative thinking, develop strategies to enhance these tendencies, and evaluate innovation-focused educational programs.
In 2024, Türkiye launched a reform movement that adopts the dynamics of Turkish culture to produce solutions to the chronic problems in the education system. This study aimed to understand how primary school first-grade teachers experienced this process in the early stages of the reform movement called the Century of Türkiye Education Model. 10 teachers, who were determined using the criterion sampling technique, participated in the study, which was conducted using a qualitative method and phenomenological design. In the study, data were obtained through semi-structured interviews and analyzed with content analysis. The findings showed that the teachers were thrust into a major reform process with very limited preparation. It was revealed that the teachers' inadequate knowledge about the changes introduced caused them to experience negative emotions and have negative thoughts. They transferred these negative feelings and thoughts to their behaviors by not fully fulfilling the requirements of the reform initiative. We used the synchronization theory as an explanatory way to discuss our findings. The study concluded that synchronization between policymakers and teachers is an important factor for the success of the Century of Türkiye Education Model reform initiative. In light of this important result, we offered some practical suggestions to teachers, policymakers, and researchers.
Drawing technique is an effective technique used to reveal the thoughts and misconceptions of science concepts created by students. The aim of this study is to reveal the thoughts and misconceptions of secondary school 7th grade students about cosmology concepts in the subject area of ‘Earth and Universe’ in science course. The research was organised in case study design, which is one of the qualitative research methods. Fourteen (7 female, 7 male) 7th grade students in a state secondary school were selected as participants by criterion sampling method. The data were collected with the help of a drawing form designed by the researcher taking into account the cosmology topics and achievements in the subject area of ‘Earth and Universe’ in the 2018 curriculum of the 7th grade science course, and the data obtained were analysed by content analysis method. The most important finding of this study is that visual-aesthetic concern in student drawings is more important than scientific accuracy. In addition, it was determined that students explained cosmology concepts by associating them with different concepts, were influenced by daily life, textbooks and audio-visual educational materials while creating their drawings, and had misconceptions about basic astronomy concepts. It is thought that this study will contribute to the field by revealing the findings about the misconceptions of secondary school students as well as their thoughts and conceptions about cosmology concepts.
This study aimed to determine the general tendency of postgraduate theses on environmental education published in the field of preschool education in Türkiye in 2022 and 2023. The data in the study were postgraduate theses on environmental education in the field of preschool education published in full text in the Higher Education Council (YÖK) Theses Center database. The data collected using the transcript analysis method was reported using the PRISMA. The sample of the study was 20 graduate theses accessed from the YÖK Thesis Center database according to the convenience sampling method. A thesis review form was used within the scope of the literature to determine the general tendency of the theses. Descriptive content analysis was used to analyze the data. The reliability of the analysis was ensured according to the consensus of the researchers. According to the findings, it was determined that theses on environmental education were produced equally in both 2022 and 2023, and the majority of these theses were master's theses. In the other findings, the most common topic in the theses was environmental education. According to the findings of the research design, qualitative and mixed (qualitative + quantitative) research design was mostly preferred in theses. The findings of the research group consisted mostly of teachers and preschool students. According to the findings of the sample selection method, the purposive sampling method was mostly used, and according to the data collection tool, the scale was mostly used. The findings of the study were discussed in the light of the literature.
This study examines the moderating effects of parents’ belief in the importance of mathematics on the relationship between students’ mathematics self-efficacy and their enjoyment of mathematics among 8th-grade students in the TIMSS 2019 data. Mediation analysis revealed that higher self-efficacy in mathematics increased students' enjoyment of the subject, with students' value of mathematics partially mediating this relationship. The parents' attitudes significantly moderated the mediating effect, emphasizing their critical role in shaping students' attitudes toward mathematics. Notably, the indirect effect of students' value of mathematics was more substantial when parents did not perceive mathematics as important. These findings highlight the complex interplay among students’ self-beliefs, their value of mathematics, and parents’ value of mathematics, collectively influencing students' enjoyment of mathematics. Further research could explore the implications of these relationships for educational practices.
This systematic review reports an analysis of research articles on AI technologies in English as a foreign language education. The review specifically addresses the limitations reported in the studies conducted between 2020 and 2024 and shows the benefits of AI technologies identified in those studies. Hence, the study aims to provide an understanding of the scope of existing research and, depending on the limitations identified, give insights into further research. The research articles were screened and analyzed using qualitative methods based on the predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The findings indicated that AI technologies may positively affect language development, cultural understanding, learner engagement, learning support, and critical thinking. Nonetheless, the limitations identified - categorized as instructional, methodological, and technological - should be taken into consideration for a more robust investigation.
Cyberloafing refers to students using the Internet for personal reasons during academic activities, affecting their academic performance. This study investigates the prevalence, causes, and effects of cyberloafing among Sakarya University students. The aim is to explore the frequency of cyberloafing behaviors and their impact on students' academic performance at Sakarya University. Data were collected from 344 students at Sakarya University through a convenience sampling method. The study included students from Vocational Schools, Faculties, and Institutes. Data were collected between June 8, 2023, and January 12, 2024. There were no missing data. 66.9% of the students spend 3 hours or more daily on social networks, with the majority using smartphones (73.2%) or tablets (13.9%). Science department students exhibited less cyberloafing compared to social sciences students, likely due to hands-on experiments and application-based learning in their courses. Universities should update course content to engage students and enforce stricter technology use policies. Mentoring and behavioral change programs could help improve students' digital habits. Expanding this research to other universities is recommended for broader insights.
This study was conducted to examine the relationship between family quality of life, parenting stress and marital life satisfaction of mothers with children with special needs in early childhood. A total of 212 mothers with children with special needs aged 0-8 years participated in the study. The data were collected with "Personal Information Form", "Beach Centre Family Quality of Life Scale", "Parenting Stress Scale" and "Marital Life Satisfaction Scale". As a result of the study, it was determined that there was a negative and significant relationship between marital life satisfaction and parenting stress levels of mothers with children with special needs; a positive and significant relationship between marital life satisfaction and family life quality; and a negative and significant relationship between family life quality and parenting stress levels. In the study, it was concluded that family quality of life differed significantly in favor of working mothers according to their employment status; it did not differ significantly according to the age and education level of the mother. It was determined that the parenting stress of mothers differed significantly in favor of university graduates in the comparison of university graduates with secondary and high school graduates according to their educational levels; it did not differ significantly according to the age and working status of the mothers. It was concluded that marital life satisfaction of mothers differed significantly in favor of mothers in the 20-29 age range according to the age of the mothers; it did not differ significantly according to the mother's education level and employment status. The findings are discussed in the light of the literature and suggestions for further research are given.
