This study investigated the students&rsquo / perceptions about a web based course. Their perceptions about course materials, level of communication, online course support, and satisfaction were discussed in this study. In this case study, Information Technology in Education II (CEIT 112), an undergraduate course at the department of Computer Education and Instructional Technology (CEIT), Middle East Technical University (METU) at 2004/2005 spring semester was taken into investigation. Totally 34 1st year CEIT students attended the course in the term and participated to the study. The course was delivered via web based instruction. The data were collected by using a survey instrument at the end of the term and analyzed using descriptive statistical analyzing methods. Frequency distributions for demographic data about the students and the statements evaluating different aspects of the course were obtained. Results showed that students&rsquo / feelings about course materials, online course support, level of communication and satisfaction were neutral. The study results may be used in evaluation of web-based instruction environment for the instructor and the department. They may give clues in order to create an effective learning environment in the future design of the course.

ABSTRACT UNDP&rsquo / S APPROACH TO WOMEN&rsquo / S RIGHTS: THE CASE OF TURKEY Devlet, Yelda M.Sc., Department of Gender and Women&rsquo / s Studies Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Yakin Ert&uuml / rk December, 2006, 152 pages. This study has focused on UNDP&rsquo / s approach to women&rsquo / s rights particularly in Turkey. In order to provide a context for the discussion of the role of the UNDP in Turkey on the realization of women&rsquo / s rights, the thesis examines the emergence of women&rsquo / s rights discourse within the international arena and its repercussions in Turkey. This has facilitated the understanding of (1) the emergence of a women&rsquo / s rights movement at the global level, (2) the spread of the idea and perception of &lsquo / women&rsquo / s rights&rsquo / movement in Turkish society, and (3) the transformation of the approaches related to women&rsquo / s issues within the Turkish context. in the light of the support of the UNDP programmes in Turkey. Within this context, this research focused on two UNDP programmes including &ldquo / National Programme for Enhancement of Women in Development&rdquo / and &ldquo / Local Agenda 21&rdquo / . Both of the programmes have had progressive impacts over the enhancement of women&rsquo / s rights in Turkey in different stages. They are critical tools on facilitating the contributions and effectiveness of the UNDP in engendering the political agenda in Turkey. It is believed that analyzing the impacts of the UNDP&rsquo / s women&rsquo / s rights related programs has crucial importance for identifying the gaps and recommending solutions to bridge the gaps in Turkey.

This study has discussed women&rsquo / s empowerment through development projects. For this aim, development thought and practices are questioned by establishing their relationship with modernization theory and (neo)liberal politics / the theories, which include women and development, are issued historically. From these theories, Women in Development (WID) Approach, Gender and Development (GAD) Approach, and Empowerment Approach are critically discussed. In the study three points are emphasized. Firstly, the theoretical approaches have developed by articulating to each other. Secondly, the approaches have lost their transformative and political characteristics in the usage of mainstream development theoricians and institutions. It is pointed that the inclusion of women into development by the mainstream is instrumentalized for the other development goals. Thirdly, although the language of GAD and Empowerment Approaches are adopted by the mainstream, at the discursive and practical level, the dominancy of WID continues. The development projects implemented in Turkey, in the period between 1960 and 1980 and post 1980 that are significant periods of the economic and political history of Turkey, are evaluated from gender perspective and their parallel characteristics to the discourse and practices in the world are indicated. It is seen that whereas the GAD and Empowerment Approach exist in the language of the development projects implemented in Turkey, they do not reflect to the practices. Within the light of these discussions, to be able to comprehend whether the development projects provide contribution to women&rsquo / s empowerment or not, two development projects that are implemented in Turkey are analyzed. The projects are assessed from the Empowerment Approach, as a current feminist approach in the development field, within the framework of power relations.

This dissertation aims to study three very important works in English children&rsquo / s fiction: C. S. Lewis&rsquo / s The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Philip Pullman&rsquo / s The Subtle Knife, the second book of his trilogy His Dark Materials, and J. K. Rowling&rsquo / s Harry Potter and the Philosopher&rsquo / s Stone. The novels will be analyzed in terms of their approaches toward the conventions of fairy tale, fantasy and romance / to this end, the novels are to be evaluated in relation to their concept of chronotope, and the quest of good versus evil. While the secondary world or multiple worlds presented are going to be analyzed in terms of their perception of time and space along with the presentation of the supernatural elements, the characters will be evaluated in terms of the common classification good versus evil. The main argument of this study concentrates on the gradual estrangement from the crystal clear distinctions of the fairy tale genre to a more shadowy, pessimistic, and ambivalent vision of the fantastic in the children&rsquo / s literature.

This study aims to find out teachers&rsquo / and learners&rsquo / perception of language learning strategies (LLSs). Three psycho-social variables regarding the teachers&rsquo / use of strategy instruction at BaSkent University were considered: 1. Level of awareness of language learning strategies 2. Beliefs in the effectiveness of language learning strategies 3. Ease of strategy instruction. These results were compared with the students&rsquo / reported use of LLSs to increase our awareness of students&rsquo / strategy use and needs so that teachers would be able to help learners facing problems in learning English. This study employed both qualitative and quantitative research tools. The relevant data were obtained by means of two questionnaires: a teacher and a student version of Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL, Oxford, 1990), and a semistructured interview. A total of 70 teachers teaching at the English language department of BaSkent University and 100 students studying in the same department were involved in the study. Data collected from the questionnaire were analyzed quantitatively by employing descriptive statistics, such as frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations. Content analysis was performed to analyze the interview data. v The results of the study suggest that for most of the items in the strategy inventory, if the teachers are aware of learning strategies, believe in the effectiveness of LLSs instruction and find them easy to apply in the classroom, they may use them more often in their classes. Furthermore, in variance analysis, the only variable that made a difference in teachers&rsquo / perceptions of LLSs was found to be the level of education, Finally, when the teachers&rsquo / and students&rsquo / frequency of LLSs use was compared, it was found out that teachers reported a higher frequency of LLSs use than their learners. However, there was a great similarity between the two parties in terms of frequency of strategy use in the most and least preferred strategy categories. It is essential to find the reasons for the difference in the frequency of LLSs among the two parties before planning a LLSs training.

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between teachers&rsquo / sense of efficacy in student engagement, instructional strategies, and classroom management and perceived openness to change in schools as regards willingness of the teachers to embrace change and teachers&rsquo / perception related to principal&rsquo / s openness to change, and teachers&rsquo / willingness to respond to community pressure for change. The research was designed as a correlational study and participants of the study consisted of 552 teachers working at primary and secondary level public schools selected from the four school districts in Ankara. Cluster sampling approach was used in selecting the overall sample of the study. In order to measure teachers&rsquo / sense of efficacy and their perceived openness to change in schools, Turkish adaptation of Teachers&rsquo / Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES) and newly adapted The Faculty Change Orientation Scale (FCOS) were utilized in the research as data gathering instruments, as well as the administration of a demographic survey. For the data analysis, both descriptive and inferential statistics techniques (Canonical Correlation Analysis) were used in the study. Exploratory Factor Analysis was also performed for Faculty Change Orientation Scale and Teachers&rsquo / Sense of Efficacy Scale to ensure construct validity of the instruments. The results of the analyses in the study indicated that there is a low relationship between teachers&rsquo / sense of efficacy in student engagement, instructional strategies, and classroom management and perceived openness to change in schools as regards teachers&rsquo / willingness for change, teachers&rsquo / perception about principal&rsquo / s openness to change and teachers&rsquo / willingness to respond community pressure for change.

There is a substantial amount of studies concerning the economic, social and political facades of the gender issue, further supported by gender - space discussions. The main aim of this study, however, is to make a survey and analysis of ladies&#039 / clubs established and supported by Greater Ankara Municipality / in order to define their problematic. The study intends to discover and analyze the policies and legislation developed by the administration about Ladies&rsquo / Clubs, to map their distribution in the city and the attitudes and appraisals of women participating in the activities of the clubs located at the core of the city.

This research aimed at investigating pre-service and in-service preschool teachers&rsquo / views regarding creativity in early childhood education by determining similarities and/or differences among their views. The data of the study was gathered from 10 pre-service and 11 in-service teachers by asking their views about creativity in early childhood education. This study has been realized by the qualitative research method and the data was gathered through a type of interview, namely focus group technique. The seven basic interview questions developed by Aslan &amp / Cansever (2009) for primary school teachers were rephrased considering early childhood education context. In the data analysis procedure, four basic themes were constituted: &ldquo / teachers&#039 / views on creativity&rdquo / , &ldquo / teachers&#039 / views on creative people&rdquo / , &ldquo / teachers&rsquo / views on the importance of creativity in early childhood education&rdquo / , and &ldquo / teachers&rsquo / views on the obstacles to creativity in early childhood education&rdquo / . The results demonstrated that although every participant had their own creativity definitions, they agreed on some common ideas about creativity. The participants were aware of the value of creativity in preschool education and they stated that they prepare and implement creative activities to nurture children&rsquo / s creativity as well as stating that there are many obstacles to achieve this goal. They indicated that these obstacles are mostly based on school administrators, teachers, and parents. Moreover, it was concluded that the most striking difference between pre-service and in-service early childhood teachers&rsquo / views was the fact that unlike in-service teachers, only the pre-service teachers gave some recommendations to tackle with the obstacles to children&rsquo / s creativity.

In this thesis, analysis of the forward backward asymmetry of high energy electron pairs at the CMS - LHC with a centre of mass energy of 7 TeV is presented and the possibility of search for a new neutral weak boson Z&rsquo / via measuring the forward backward asymmetry AFB of high energy electron pairs is discussed. The forward backward asymmetry is a natural result of the interference between the neutral current mediators: Photon and Z boson. A new neutral gauge boson would also interfere with these mediators and this new interference would either enhance the forward backward asymmetry at high energies or suppress it. In this analysis, 4.67 fb&minus / 1 data collected at the CMS experiment in 2011 is used

The aim of this thesis is to analyze women&rsquo / s shelters in the context of the Feminist Standpoint Theory by focusing on a case in Turkey. The majority of the previous studies has not regarded the women&rsquo / s entire subjective experiences of domestic violence and shelter stay. Rather they present a reductionist picture. In this study, women&rsquo / s experiences of violence and shelter stay are analyzed and discussed in relation to / their specificities, the shelter structure, and the system shelters are connected in Turkey, from the perspective of Feminist Standpoint Theory. The issue of to what extent empowerment is attainable within the existing structures of institutions is questioned through qualitative method. Participatory observation is the main data gathering method in this study / semi-structured in-depth interviews are also used as additional data gathering source. Interviews and interpersonal relationships with 78 women are analyzed. The interviews aim at providing individual narratives of these women concerning the experience of violence and the process afterwards. In addition, interpersonal communications with the shelter staff are also added to the analysis. It was understood that the subjective experiences of the women are not wholly understandable under a fixed womanhood categorization of gender / they are mostly underestimated in the existing system of structure / and that the constraints specific to each woman&rsquo / s case combined with the rigid structural practices in the aftermath of violence entrap many women in situations difficult to escape, and the &lsquo / mediating role&rsquo / of the structures and individuals are disempowering for the women.