This research was conducted to obtain and compare teachers' metaphorical perceptions of "plagiarism detecting software - text" chains in both Czech and Turkish educational contexts. 15 Turkish and 19 Czech teachers participated in the study. The participants completed the phrase "A Plagiarism detection software - text is like . . . because . . ." to indicate their conceptualisations of the tools. Data was analysed qualitatively. As a result of the research, participants created 201 metaphors related to the "plagiarism detection software - text" concept chain across 9 conceptual categories. It was concluded that metaphors can be a powerful research tool for understanding teachers' insights into technological and educational phenomena related to sustainability.
Proficiency in English is essential for academic achievement globally, particularly for university students, as it allows them to articulate their thoughts effectively and acquire knowledge effortlessly. Consequently, several English teachers aim to enhance student English proficiency through using various innovative teaching approaches. This study aimed to examine the effect of inquiry-based instruction (IBI) on the English proficiency of Turkish university students in both productive and receptive skills. This research was designed as a quasi-experimental study, utilising two intact English courses from the department of English language teaching. One class was the control group and learnt through the traditional teaching method (TTM), while the other class was the experimental group and learnt through inquiry-based instruction (IBI). Pre- and post-English proficiency tests were conducted to evaluate the impact of IBI on students' English performance. The results demonstrated significant improvements in the productive skills of the experimental group; however, the receptive skills, especially listening, revealed no progress, as the functional language (use of English) was not enhanced. The results of this study underscore the necessity of integrating blended IBI with targeted skills instruction and deliberate modifications to enhance receptive skills. Further research is needed to reconceptualise the modified IBI framework when targeting receptive skills.
The study examined the effect of teaching primary school science in QR codesupported mobile learning environments on students' academic achievement, knowledge retention and their views on mobile learning. The research was conducted using a mixed-methods design with an experimental group (27 students) and a control group (20 students) attending a public primary school in Istanbul. Quantitative data were collected through an achievement test, while qualitative data were obtained via semi-structured interviews and student journals. The results revealed significantly higher academic achievement of students in the experimental group compared to those in the control group, and that students from the experimental group developed positive perceptions of mobile learning practices. Additionally, students' interest and motivation toward science increased, and improvements were observed in several learning-related skills. These results indicate that QR code-supported mobile learning environments can be an effective instructional approach for teaching environmental topics in primary school science education.
Wellness recreation areas, such as parks, gyms, offer students different ways to engage in muscle strengthening and a plethora of social, physical and psychological benefits. A cross-sectional, correlational study was conducted with 312 undergraduate students on several urban campuses that had a gym and a nearby park utilizing a stratified sampling technique. A questionnaire was recorded which measured (a) engagement (motivation) (frequency, duration, intensity), (b) wellness (social, psychological, physical) and satisfaction with different aspects of a facility (comfort, safety, access and equipment). Analyses included descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations, and linear regression analyses, which tested the relationship between Overall Wellness and Facility Satisfaction, with the standard regression diagnostics. Engagement was not only extensive but was due to intrinsic motivation: 61% of students trained at a high intensity three or more times a week. Students reported moderate levels of well-being in the physical, psychological, and social areas. Engagement had a statistically significant positive relationship with each domain of wellness (r=.47-.59, p < .01). Students expressed greater satisfaction with the quality of gym facilities compared to facilities provided in parks. Gyms were seen to be more positive than parks, at least in part due to the greater amount of equipment, and, consequently, students rated the safety and climate control more highly. Facility Satisfaction was a statistically significant predictive factor in Overall Wellness (R-2 = .144, b = .38, p < .001). Barriers for use were overcrowding; few hours of operation; and shaded and well-equipped spaces at park. Although there are gaps to be filled regarding indoor and outdoor spaces, the more gaps that are filled the better the overall health of students will be. Specifically, to reduce the gaps in parks and gyms, students' overall health will be improved by adding (1) cooling equipment that provides shade, (2) better safety equipment and moreover, (3) improved maintenance and reduced levels of crowding. The hybrid solution of robust gyms and purpose-built outdoor strength stations increases access, coaches with operational objectives and advances inclusion particularly including women and gym culture averse groups. Intended programming and design choices are health interventions.
This study explores a Socioscientific Issues (SSI)-driven Project-Based Learning (PBL) model to bridge the gap between scientific and humanistic-social literacy in STEM education. Using a quasi-experimental design, twelve STEM classes were divided into the experimental (SSI-PBL) and the control (traditional instruction) group. The results show that the experimental group significantly improved in scientific argumentation (ES = 1.32 for structured expression; ES = 0.87 for evidence use) and cross-cultural scientific literacy (e.g., +2.15 in multicultural perspectives, +1.83 in ethical sensitivity). Discourse analysis revealed an increase of 41 % in cross-cultural references, with 82.6 % of participants integrating diverse scientific (CRSA) model, advocating for SSI integration in STEM curricula to foster scientific reasoning, cultural inclusivity, and global responsibility.
