In this study, four aspects of learner autonomy within the context of CALL were investigated so as to find out whether CALL environments contribute to the development of learner autonomy. Two groups of students, in total 48 preparatory school students, at intermediate level in the Department of Foreign Languages at a private university in Ankara were chosen to take part in the study. First&rsquo / the students&rsquo / language learning strategy use was explored. Then, only one group of students was given a five-week language learning strategy training through CALL. During the training, their motivation levels, willingness to take responsibility for learning and involvement in out-of-class studies were scrutinized. In order to reach the aforementioned goals, both qualitative and quantitative data were collected by the help of questionnaires, semi-structured face-to-face interviews, observations, e-learning diaries kept by the strategy training group and a five-week language learning strategy training through CALL. In order to reach the aim of the study, the data were collected in the form of pre-test and post-test for the language learning strategies of the learners from both groups to be analyzed and evaluated. Besides, both groups were observed by the instructors in order to address motivation, taking responsibility for learning and engaging in out-of-class study. However, only the students in one group were given a five-week language learning strategy training through CALL, and they were interviewed before and after the training and they kept e-learning diaries. The findings indicated that the five-week language learning strategy training helped the students in the strategy training group to improve their use of language learning strategies as well as increasing their motivation, encouraging them to take responsibility for their learning and engage in out-of-class activities. However, when compared to the students in the strategy training group, the students who did not get the five-week language learning strategy training through CALL did not show many uses of language learning strategies, high motivation levels, willingness to take responsibility and engage in out-of-class activities. Since the main aim of this study was to foster learner autonomy by the help of CALL, this study attempted to suggest ways to help learners to use language learning strategies, increase their motivation, take responsibility for learning and engage in out-of-class. Keywords: CALL, learner autonomy, learning strategies, motivation, taking responsibility, out-of-class study, language learning

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of learners in the blended course relative to the use of Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education. Additionally through the motivational requirements specified by Keller&rsquo / s ARCS motivational design model, students&rsquo / motivations were analyzed. Thus the study was designed to determine student motivation in a blended environment in relation to Keller&rsquo / s ARCS motivational design model. For these research aims, a traditional course was redesigned with the support of online applications by taking Good Practice Principles as the framework. A triangulation mixed method approach was utilized as the primary design of the study by employing both qualitative and quantitative methods in a single study. The study participants included 47 preservice teachers in an undergraduate teacher education program of Computer Education and Instructional Technology Department in the Middle East Technical University who took the course (School Experience I) in blended design mode in 2005-2006 spring semester. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected through three different surveys, student interviews, and forum transcripts. The data were analyzed concurrently according to both qualitative and quantitative data analysis techniques. The analyses of qualitative and quantitative data showed that students&rsquo / perceptions in the blended course and perceptions in relation to each good teaching principles were mostly positive. Results reveal that students perceive six of the principles including student faculty contact, cooperation, time on task, diversity and ways of learning, feedback, and active learning helpful to their learning. Additionally, the students think that the other one principle which is expectations needs to be improved. In addition, high motivation scores were gathered in the blended course. Results show that attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction subscores revealed significantly higher levels of motivation among students.

The primary purposes of present study were 1) investigation of epistemological beliefs held by preservice teachers, 2)investigation of relationship between pre-service teachers&rsquo / environmental literacy and their epistemologicalbeliefs,3)investigation of predictors of pre-service teachers&rsquo / intentions to act environmental behavior. Secondary purpose of the study was to investigate effect of gender, academic major, and grade level on environmental literacy of pre-service teachers. This study was carried out during the spring semester of2008. Sample of this study constituted 560 pre-service teachers from a public university in Ankara. In this study data was obtained from the administration of Turkish versions of Schommers&rsquo / Epistemological Belief Questionnaire and Environmental Literacy Questionnaire. The data were analyzed by using factor analysis, correlational analysis, multiple regression analysis, and multivariate analysis of variances (MANOVA). We found five epistemological belief factors which indicated that pre-service teachers held multidimensional epistemological beliefs.Epistemological belief components, innate ability and quick learning, were significantly related with behavior component of environmental literacy. Innate ability, quick learning dimensions of epistemological beliefs and environmental attitude, concern were investigated to be the predictors of behavior. mean scores of pre-service teachers&rsquo / .Moreover,results of this study revealed that gender / academic major and grade level have effect on environmental literacy of pre-serviceteachers.

The main purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of origami-based instruction on fourth, fifth, and sixth grade students&rsquo / spatial ability in mathematics. More specifically, how origami-based instruction affected students&rsquo / spatial visualization and spatial orientation ability was examined. In addition, elementary students&rsquo / self-reported perceptions related to origami-based instruction was investigated. In other words, students&rsquo / attitude towards origami-based instruction, their views about the benefits of origami-based instruction and its connection to mathematics, and the difficulties that students encountered while making origami as well as by whom they overcame these difficulties were investigated. The data was collected from 38 fourth, fifth, and sixth grade students in a private school in Eryaman neighborhood in Ankara. The participants were given a Spatial Ability Test (SAT) as pretest and posttest in order to assess the effect of origami-based instruction on their spatial ability in terms of spatial visualization and spatial orientation. In addition, the participants were asked to write reflection papers related to origami-based instruction in order to examine their perceptions. The results indicated that there was a significant positive effect of origami-based instruction on elementary students&rsquo / both spatial visualization and spatial orientation ability. Moreover, the findings showed that students had positive attitude toward origami-based instruction where they wanted to continue origami-based instruction. Students also thought that origami-based instruction was beneficial for them especially in geometry topics in mathematics, and they have common views that origami-based instruction was directly related with mathematics. Furthermore, results revealed that students were generally encountered with folding and assembling difficulties, and they overcame these difficulties by themselves, by the help of the teacher, and by the help of their friends.

The current study, initially aimed to explore the problem solving skills of the sixth grade students within the four-process problem solving framework including the processes of understanding the problem, devising a plan, carrying out the plan, and looking back and evaluating. Secondly, it aimed to investigate the relationships between student and teacher related characteristics and problem solving skills of the students. In the study, a model was proposed based on the related literature and this proposed model was tested by using hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) technique. A total of 2562 sixth grade students from 37 public elementary schools in the eight central districts of Ankara completed a problem solving skills test developed by the researcher and a student questionnaire. At the same time, mathematics teachers of the students participated in the study completed a teacher questionnaire. The results indicated that in general the sixth grade students displayed low performance in the overall problem solving skills test. Moreover, the students performed best in the process of understanding problem whereas they showed the worst performance in the process of looking back and evaluating. The results of the hierarchical linear modeling technique indicated that the student characteristics significantly and positively related to the problem solving skills of the sixth grade students were socioeconomic status, mathematics self concept, extrinsic motivation, use of control strategies, preference for competitive learning situation, and teacher support, on the other hand student level characteristics significantly and negatively related to the problem solving skills of the sixth grade students were mathematics anxiety, giving homework, activities related with homework, and different types of homework. Furthermore, the teacher level characteristics significantly related to the problem solving skills of the sixth grade students were only teacher gender and perceptions about limitations aroused from students. The characteristic of perceptions about limitations aroused from students was negatively related to problem solving skills of the students on the other hand teacher gender was found to be related to problem solving skills of the students in favor of female teachers. It was also found that there was no teacher level characteristic influencing the relationship that was between student level characteristics and the problem solving skills of the students.

This study aimed to explore the characteristics of successful primary schools in the province of Izmir. In this study, qualitative research technique is employed through the perspective of multiple case studies. It was conducted in 9 distinguishingly effective primary public schools located in various districts of Izmir. The participants of the investigation were school administrators and teachers of the investigated schools. Reviewing the relevant literature of the field, a model of school effectiveness characteristics (consisting of five factors) was exploited in order for conceptualizing the research. This frame of effectiveness characteristics were identified as achievement &ndash / oriented policy, orderly and secure climate, strong educational leadership, maintaining parental support and thorough monitoring of pupil progress. Throughout the study, multiple case study method was adopted, and semi-structured interview technique was employed as the main data collection instrument. Content analysis technique was utilized to unfurl the data gathered through the interviews. The results of the research revealed that achievement orientation, strong educational leadership, school climate, monitoring students&rsquo / progress, parental support, and supportive physical environment are among the identified characteristics for school effectiveness.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the preservice science teachers&rsquo / perceived technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) on genetics. More specifically, the purpose was to examine the relationships among the components of TPACK and genetics knowledge of the preservice science teachers. Moreover, findings the effect of the demographic information on perceived TPACK was also aimed. This study was conducted with preservice science teachers who were enrolled in elementary science education department of Education Faculties of eight public universities located in Central Anatolia. 1530 preservice science teachers participated to the study. There were two instruments used in this research which were perceived TPACK questionnaire, which was later adopted by the researcher as perceived TPACK on genetics, and genetic concepts test. v Data were analyzed by using descriptive and inferential statistics. In order to answer the first research question, descriptive information about the components of TPACK was given. Correlational analyses were used to identify the relationship between each component of the perceived TPACK on genetics and their genetic knowledge. Another correlational analysis was conducted for the third research question which seeks the relationships among the components of the TPACK. Moreover, MANOVA was conducted to investigate the impact of gender and year of enrollment on perceived TPACK on genetics of preservice science teachers. The results revealed that genetic knowledge was correlated with each component except the perceived project specific technology knowledge. Moreover, there were positive significant correlations among the components of the TPACK. According to the MANOVA results, the mean scores of male and female preservice science teachers differ in five components of TPACK, namely project specific technology knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, technological content knowledge and technological pedagogical content knowledge. The results of MANOVA for year of enrollment revealed that the mean ETK, GTK, PSTK, and CK scores of participants with different year of enrollment differ significantly.

Effectiveness and usefullness among the important factors that affect success of online learning environments. During this study, a course-content management system developed regarding effectivity and usability related concerns. One major aim of this study is to develop effective and usable system. In this study, a course-content management system designed and developed under the light of previous researches. In the design phase, effective design strategies and characteristics of effective and usable learning systems were explored, and system was designed considering these strategies. Then, development phase applied. After system developed, usability techniques was explored, and heuristic evaluation method was choosed as a usability method to measure usability of the system. During the study, modified version of a checklist that was prepared considering usability heuristics. Applied checklist contains total 108 questions under 13 heuristics (major usability problem). Heuristic evaluation is an expert review method. Therefore, this study should have been evaluated by experts. 8 experts enrolled in this study. All experts are either Phd or graduate students at instructional technology departments and they have enrolled in web-based studies. They investigated the usability of the course-content management system according to the usability related criterias on the checklist. When test results were considered, a course-contentmanagement system developed during this study was found usable. Results of this study may enlighten the way of future studies.

The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of concrete models on eighth grade students&rsquo / geometry achievement and attitudes toward geometry. The study was conducted on 106 eighth grade students in one of the private school in Ankara. The subjects of the study received instruction with concrete models, and by the traditional method. Cooperative learning method and discovery learning method were also used to provide better classroom environment and to create exciting classroom atmosphere for the use of concrete models. The following measuring instruments were used to collect data: The Geometry Attitude Scale (GAS), Geometry Achievement Test (GAT) and open ended questions. The present study was a matching-only pre-test- post-test control group design. The data of the present study were analyzed by Analysis of Co-Variance and by two-way Analysis of Variance. The results of the study indicated that: (1) There was a statistically significant mean difference between students received instruction with concrete models and those received instruction with traditional method in terms of the GAch / (2) there was no statistically significant mean difference between girls and boys in terms of GAch / (3) there was no statistically significant interaction between treatment and gender on GAch / (4) there was no statistically significant mean difference between students received instruction with concrete models and those received instruction with traditional method in terms of ATG / (5) there was no statistically significant mean difference between girls and boys in terms of ATG / and (6) there was no statistically significant interaction between treatment and gender on ATG.

liv, 775 p. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Thesis (D.Litt)--University of Adelaide, 1971