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This study aimed to investigate the potentials of two cognitive tools for instructional planning (Instructional Planning Self-reflective Tool, IPSRT, and Constructivist Planning Self-reflective Tool, CPSRT) and microteaching in gaining instructional planning and teaching skills for preservice teachers. The participants were 51 fourth year students in Computer Education and Instructional Technology program. The study is an action research with three main foci. The first focus of this study aimed at investigating contributions and challenges involved in the use of the cognitive tools for instructional planning with tutoring from the instructor. More specifically, to what extent the preservice teachers followed these tools during this process, the effects of these tools on preservice teachers&rsquo / self-efficacy, the perceived instrumentality regarding instructional planning, and the perceived contributions and challenges presented by these tools were focused. Both tools were introduced to the two sections, in different orders within four weeks. The data for this focus were collected by means of questionnaires, interviews and documents (lesson plans). This focus revealed that / expect for writing objectives, the participants could make instructional plans according to the IPSRT. They could also follow the CPSRT to design the instructional goal, required characteristics of learning activities and the assessment. Both tools were found to significantly increase their initial self-efficacy beliefs. They found CPSRT more flexible, while IPSRT easier and more helpful. This focus indicated that IPSRT and CPSRT can be used as supportive tools in preservice teachers&rsquo / gaining instructional planning skills. If both tools were used, it would be better to introduce IPSRT at first and then CPSRT. The second focus of this study was to explore the contributions and challenges of microteaching activities regarding preservice teachers&rsquo / instructional planning and teaching skills. The microteaching activities took eight weeks. Throughout this phase, each student planned a 20-minute microteaching with tutoring from the instructor and performed it in the classroom. The performers were formatively evaluated through a microteaching assessment form by the instructor, the teaching assistants and some preservice teachers. Then the performers made a self-reflection assignment about their microteaching performance, considering those evaluations. In the following semester, 15 participants&rsquo / perceptions about the contributions and challenges posed by microteaching activities for their instructional planning and teaching skills were obtained through interviews. More specifically, their perceptions about the microteaching planning process with tutoring, performing microteaching, formatively assessing peers&rsquo / microteaching performances, being assessed by peers, and doing self-reflection assignment were analyzed. This focus revealed that although preservice teachers perceive microteaching activities as valuable experiences, microteaching would be more beneficial if the pupils were real ones, not their class-mates. The third focus was to investigate the effects of the cognitive tools and microteaching activities on preservice teachers&rsquo / lesson planning and teaching skills in their field teaching. For this aim, 12 participants&rsquo / field teaching lesson plans and their performance assessments were analyzed. It was found that many of them preferred using the Microteaching Planning Guide and they had no difficulty in their lesson planning. As to field teaching performance, the analyses of the assessment forms showed that a majority of them performed successfully. Besides, most of them were observed not to have anxiety during field teaching. This focus showed that these cognitive tools and microteaching activities could improve preservice teachers&rsquo / self-confidence in lesson planning and teaching skills in real class environment. Considering to meeting the need for better qualified teachers, this study promised that applying these cognitive tools and microteaching model in schools of teacher education is likely to contribute to the instructional planning and teaching skills of preservice computer teachers. This study also offers suggestive implications for how to improve teaching methods courses with the two cognitive tools and microteaching, as well.

Abstract As college populations are becoming increasingly diverse, institutions must find ways to meet the needs of their nontraditional students. Nontraditional adult learners are self-directed, ready to learn, and are internally motivated to engage in problem-centered learning. The purpose of this study was to expand and refine an active learning seminar in a higher education setting to improve the quality of teaching, student engagement, and retention rates. The site of the study was a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in which adult students over 25 constituted 49% of the population. The faculty members at this site predominantly employed traditional instructional methods. Action research was used to explore 6 faculty members' perceptions of active learning approaches before and after they attended an active learning seminar. Before and after the seminar, observations of student engagement, using the Direct Observation Instructional Management (DOIM) checklist, were conducted. Interviews with the faculty members explored their perceptions and needs regarding use of active learning strategies. Interview data were analyzed thematically and pre and post themes were compared. On the DOIM, student engagement was observed to increase in 2 classes. Results, including strategies that increased engagement, were integrated into a seminar that can be implemented at the same HBCU. Social change implications are that faculty members may begin to use techniques that will more effectively engage adult learners, leading to greater retention of knowledge and a likely increase in the graduation rate of students.

The aim of this study was twofold: (a) to investigate whether seventh grade students&rsquo / conditional and procedural knowledge acquisition in, attitude towards, active learning strategies in, and learning value of geometry improve differentially for students having different cognitive styles in project-based learning and (b) to examine how project-based learning affects them. Participants were 97 seventh-grade students in a private school in Ankara. The students were classified into three groups: Field dependent (N=31), field middle (N=35), and field independent (N=31), based on the raw scores of the participants from the Group Embedded Figures Test. Only one treatment (i.e., project-based learning) was conducted for the study, lasting 30 lesson hours. Pre-test and post-test design for the students having three different cognitive styles was utilized. A mixed methods design integrating both quantitative and qualitative data was used for this study. The data were collected through Conditional and Procedural Knowledge Tests, Active Learning Strategies in and Learning Value of Geometry Questionnaire, Geometry Attitude Scale, interview responses, and classroom observation field notes. The quantitative analyses were carried out by using Mixed Design (one between factor and one within factor) Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA). The results revealed that there is no significant interaction between time and group. There was a substantial main effect for time and follow up analyses for this effect showed that the students achieved large learning gains for all dependent variables. In addition, the main effect of group was not significant. According to interview responses and classroom observation field notes, those quantitative results were attributable to the influence of contextualizing, visualizing, and collaborating geometry concepts with their peers and teacher during benchmark lessons and developing and sharing artifacts for each of the cognitive style group.

This study intented to investigate the effects of activities based on role-play on ninth grade students&rsquo / achievement and attitudes at simple electric circuits. In this study, Physics Achievement Test was developed to evaluate students&rsquo / achievement on simple electric circuits and role-play activities about simple electric circuits were prepared. In addition, Physics Attitude Scale was administered to explore students&rsquo / attitude towards physics. The present study was conducted at one of the high schools in Acipayam during 2003-2004 Spring Semester with a total number of 104 (51 female and 53 male) 9th students from four classes of two physics teachers. One class of each physics teacher was assigned as experimental and instructed by role-play activities on the other hand the other classes of each physics teacher was as control group and instructed by traditional method. The teachers were trained for how to implement role-play activities in the class before the study began. Physics Attitude Scale and Physics Achievement Tests were applied twice as a pre-test and after a three-week treatment period as a post-test to both groups to assess and compare the effectiveness of two different types of teaching / role-play versus traditional teaching method. Data were collected utilizing Physics Achievement Test and Physics Attitude Scale. Data of this study were analyzed utilizing descriptive and inferential statistics. The scores of the post-tests were analyzed by statistical techniques of Multivariate Analyses of Covariance (MANCOVA). Experimental group compared to control group tended to favor a significant difference in the achievement. However the statistical analysis failed to show any significant differences between the experimental and control groups&rsquo / attitude towards physics at simple electric circuits.

Cette recherche a eu lieu au Qatar, pays du Golfe persique, où une vaste réforme du système éducatif est entreprise. Notre premier objectif dans cette étude a été d'examiner l'évolution des programmes de formation continue des enseignants des écoles dites indépendantes tels qu'offerts par la seule université nationale, Qatar University, et précisément par le College of Education (CED). Notre intérêt pour les programmes du CED est qu'ils y ont introduit progressivement un processus de suivi sur le terrain des pratiques. Notre deuxième objectif a été d'étudier les changements qu'ont pu apporter le suivi appliqué à l'un des programmes de formation continue en 2009-10 au niveau des pratiques d'enseignement et de la motivation et participation des élèves en classe. La collecte d'information s'est basée sur des documents, des questionnaires d'évaluation d'ateliers et de sessions de suivi, des observations de classes et des entretiens. Les résultats ont montré que le processus de suivi organisé au sein du programme de formation continue a amélioré les performances des enseignants et la participation des élèves en classe, montrant aussi la nécessité d'avoir une gestion pédagogique au niveau du leadership et des enseignants d'une part, et la nécessité de renforcer la coopération entre écoles et universités d'autre part. Par contre, l'effet escompté sur l'orientation professionnelle des élèves n'a pu être confirmé. Les résultats ont permis de faire quelques recommandations pour d'autres recherches, entre autres une étude qui examinerait l'effet­ établissement pour le développement d'une culture d'organisation apprenante et une autre étude sur un partenariat écoles-universités. / This research was done in the State of Qatar, located in the Gulf Region where a substantial reform begun few years ago. The first objective of this study was to explore the evolution of teachers' professional development programs (PD) offered by the sole national university in the country, Qatar University, and mainly by the College of Education (CED), to the so called Independent Schools. Our interest was specifically related to the progressive introduction of a follow-up process in CED professional development programs. The second objective was to study changes that the follow-up process could have carried out regarding independent school teachers’ practices and students' motivation and participation in class. Data were collected through documents, interviews, questionnaires and class observations. The results show that the follow-up process as planned within the PD program improved teachers’ performances to a good extent as well as students participation in class; results also show the need to reinforce instructional leadership and teachers’ effect on learning on one side, and the need to strengthen the cooperation between the schools and the university on the other side. However, the effect on students' future orientations could not be confirmed. The findings of this study helped to draw conclusions and provide a base for recommendations for further research such as the impact of instructional leadership on the development of a learning organization culture, and partnership between schools and universities.

This study investigated the effects of grade level and gender on elementary school students&rsquo / motivation towards science learning. This study was carried out during 2007-2008 fall semester at 12 public elementary schools in Yenimahalle districts of Ankara. A total of 2231 students (1121 boys, 1093 girls, 17 did not report their gender) participated in the study. In terms of grade level, 1164 were enrolled in 6th grade level and 1055 in 8th grade (12 did not report their grade level). Data were collected through Students&rsquo / Motivation Towards Science Learning Questionnaire (SMTSL). Two-way Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) was conducted in order to identify the effects of grade level and gender on six dimensions of motivation (i.e. self efficacy, active learning strategies, learning environment stimulation, science learning value, achievement goal and performance goal) towards science learning. Two-way MANOVA results showed that grade level and gender had a significant effect on the collective dependent variables. Follow-up univariate analysis indicated that there was a significant difference between 6th and 8th grade students&rsquo / motivation towards science learning regarding mean scores on each motivational variable. In addition, mean scores on each motivational variable, except leaning environment stimulation, were significantly different for boys and girls, in favors of girls. Result demonstrated that students&rsquo / motivation towards science learning declined as the grade level increased and girls had a higher motivation towards science learning than boys.