This study investigates the impact of computer games on students&rsquo / motivation. A computer game was created for this study by using Tomb Raider 4 Level Editor. The game covers photosynthesis, vitamins, carbohydrates, proteins and fat subjects of 5th grade science and technology course. Data was collected from 71 5th grade students of three primary schools. Students have played the game until the end of lesson than they were asked to complete The Instructional Materials Motivation Survey (IMMS). The study reveals that gender, weekly computer use and weekly game playing do not affect the impact of educational computer games on students&rsquo / motivation.

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.

The purpose of the study is to investigate how well the mathematics achievement is explained by the students and school related factors. Also, to what extent students and school related factors components are accounted for students&rsquo / mathematics achievement in answering reasoning level questions and basic mathematical knowledge questions will be investigated. This study will basically combine students&rsquo / questionnaires items with their mathematics achievement scores obtained from mathematics achievement tests items. According to content and cognitive domains three achievement tests were prepared from TIMSS-2003 released mathematic items. Student questionnaire consist of combination of items from TIMSS-2003 and TMSS-1999 student questionnaires. The seventy six items selected from the students questionnaires were analyzed using principle component factor analysis and ten interpretable dimensions were found. Based on the result of the factor analysis, variables were generated by selecting the observed variables with highest loadings. These variables were: socioeconomic status, perception of success, teacher centered activities, students centered activities, out of school activities, out of school activities II, school climate, reason for being successful in mathematics, homework and computer. The data which is used in the study gathered from four socially and economically different schools in Ankara and the final sample of the study consisted of 426 elementary school students. This data was analyzed by using regression analysis. Regression analysis results indicated that socio-economic status was the strongest factor explaining mathematics achievement. Other important variables were the perception of success, use of computers and homework activities. Socioeconomic status and perception of success have positive relationships with mathematics achievement, while homework and computer have negative relationships. These four variables account for the 30.1 % of the variance in mathematics achievement. Other variables did not significantly contribute to mathematics achievement in the regression model. Students&rsquo / achievement in basic mathematical knowledge was explained by the same variables which were socioeconomic status, perception of success, homework and computer in the same way. However, achievement in reasoning level explained by socio- economic status, perception of success and homework. The use of computer factor did not contribute the achievement in reasoning level.

The concept of personal vision refers to teachers&#039 / ideal perception of education (teaching and learning, classroom management and educational implications for the society). Teacher&#039 / s personal vision is how he or she wants these dimensions to be. This case study analyzed personal visions of teachers at a rural primary school and investigated the effects of the school context on teachers&#039 / personal visions. The data were collected from ten teachers through utilizing the semi-structured interview method. The researcher analyzed the obtained data through cointent analysis. The results of the study revealed that teachers&#039 / visions considered education as a lifelong process involving a student-centered, democratic classroom environment where learning differences were given importance to / and meaningful learning and process evaluation were highlighted. According to the teachers, this educational process would lead a democratic society where science, moral values and citizenship values prevailed. The results also showed that the school context was not supportive for the teachers to achieve their visions.

This study intended to investigate the role of perceived social problem solving, narcissism, self-esteem, and gender in predicting aggressive behaviors of high school students. The sample consisted of 825 participants recruited from five high schools in Ankara. Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ), D&#039 / Zurilla and Maydeu-Olivares Social Problem Inventory-Revised (SPSI-R), Ames, Rose, and Anderson Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI), and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) were used as the data collection instruments. Standard Multiple Linear Regression Analyses were performed to investigate predictive value of social problem solving (i.e., negative problem orientation, rational problem solving, impulsivity/carelessness style, and avoidance style), narcissism, self-esteem, and gender in understanding high school students&rsquo / aggressive behaviors (i.e., physical aggression, anger, hostility, and verbal aggression). Results of the present study indicated that gender, narcissism, impulsivity/carelessness style, negative problem orientation, and rational problem solving were significantly related to adolescents&rsquo / physical aggressive behaviors. However, self-esteem and avoidance style did not significantly correlate with physical aggression. Moreover, negative problem orientation, narcissism, impulsivity/carelessness style and gender were significantly related to anger / conversely the relationship between anger and self-esteem, rational problem solving, and avoidance style were not significant. Furthermore, although there was a significant correlation between hostility and negative problem orientation, self-esteem, narcissism, and rational problem solving, there was no significant relationship between adolescent hostile behaviors and avoidance style, impulsivity/carelessness style, and gender. Finally, impulsivity/carelessness style, narcissism, rational problem solving, and gender were significantly related to adolescents&rsquo / verbal aggressive behaviors, nevertheless self-esteem, negative problem orientation, and avoidance style did not significantly correlate with verbal aggression. Theoretical and practical implications and recommendations for future research have been presented.

Purpose of this study was to investigate environmental literacy of 6th grade students at a private school. In detail of study it is also investigated that how mothers&amp / #8217 / educational background on environmental literacy dimensions (knowledge, attitude, use and concern) and besides, relationship between environmental background characteristics and environmental literacy dimensions. The study was carried out during the fall semester of the 2007-2008 academic year. The sample of study was chosen from an accessible population and consisted of 681 sixth grades students from a private school in Ankara. Environmental Literacy Questionnaire (ELQ) is used to collect data. The relationship among environmental literacy dimensions i.e., knowledge, attitude, use and concern was investigated by Means of zero order correlation. Effect of mothers&amp / #8217 / educational level on the environmental literacy of the students is analyzed by Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA). Finally, canonical correlation is used in order to analyze relationship among environmental background of students, that is self-assessment about their interest in environmental problems (perception of interest), their views on the importance of environmental problems (perception of importance), their self evaluation of their environmental knowledge (perception of knowledge), their involvement in outdoor activities (activities), their perception of their parents&amp / #8217 / interest in environmental problems (parents&amp / #8217 / interest) and their perception of their parents&amp / #8217 / involvement in environmental activities (parents&amp / #8217 / involvement) / and environmental literacy dimensions. Results showed that majority of students (64%) received with mean of 8.2 questions out of 11 questions. Results also revealed that they have positive attitude, aware of importance between human and environment. Moreover, students have concerns about environmental problems. Results of means of zero order correlations indicated that between knowledge - use and attitude &amp / #8211 / concern are correlated positively, significantly but small. Moreover attitude-use and use &amp / #8211 / concern are correlated strong and medium in that order. Effect of mothers&amp / #8217 / educational level on EL, which is analyzed by Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA), indicated that dimensions of EL do not differentiate significantly by education level of mothers. By canonical correlation, it is found that parents&amp / #8217 / involvement in environmental activities positively related to environmental attitude, use and concern which stand for increase in parents&amp / #8217 / environmental involvement, increase in attitude, use and concern.

The purpose of this study was to examine the views of parents and preschool school administrators about preschool movement education and the practices regarding the teaching movement education to young children in early childhood programs. Participants (8 preschool administrators and 21 parents) were from 8 randomly selected private preschool in the region of &Ccedil / ankaya, Ankara, Turkey. Semi structured interview and document analysis methods were used for data collection. Content analysis method was used for data analysis. The results suggested that play and movement activities had no effects on parents&rsquo / school choice and parents did not seem to be influential on curriculum decisions about movement education activities. Structured play and movement activities were not considered as an academic subject by both groups. Instead participants perceived structured play and movement activities as a free play. Parents were aware of subjects as math, science and language / but they had limited knowledge about movement education activities. Parents generally focused on children&rsquo / s such sport specific activities as swimming, tennis, horse riding which were not developmentally appropriate for children&rsquo / s fundamental movement skills. Demands about the additional skills related with the movement education focused more on sport specialized activities and large environments for children to play comfortable. To conclude, parents and administrators have little knowledge about movement education so they are needed to be informed about the subject through educative workshops or seminars given by the people who are professional in their field.

This study examined the perceptions of the Students and the Teachers of METU Development Foundation Schools about the use of e-learning / sharing portal technology in their educational activities. Their perceptions were investigated in terms of three aspects: effects of the use of this technology on their perceived motivation, the perceived usefulness and the perceived ease of use of this technology. A central server was installed for setting up an e-learning / sharing portal environment. Microsoft SharePoint, which is a Sharing Portal Software, was used to access to the central server. The study was conducted in the form of action research. The data were collected from 6th and 7th grade students of METU Development Foundation Schools by using a questionnaire. Also, interviews were conducted with the teachers. Descriptive statistics, frequency distributions and descriptive analysis methods were used to analyze the results. The findings of the study indicated that the students and the teachers perceived that e-learning / sharing portal technology is a useful and also easy to use technology. It was found out that the students and the teachers are satisfied with advantages of the use of this new technology in their learning environment. In the same way, the teachers and the students stated that using the system effected students&rsquo / perceived motivation towards the educational activities in a positive way.

This study aimed at developing a complementary peer-teacher feedback model, in which students and teachers share the responsibility of providing feedback in a systematic way and testing its effectiveness. The effectiveness of the developed feedback model on improving students&amp / #8217 / writing ability was tested in the context of a multiple draft writing course which followed a process approach with 57 preparatory class students at Karadeniz Technical University, Department of English Language and Literature for a period of 15 weeks (a semester). The study was designed as an experimental study in which the experimental group students were provided feedback through a complementary peer-teacher feedback model and the control group students were provided feedback through full teacher feedback. The two groups were compared in terms of their revisions, their essay scores and their attitudes towards feedback and writing. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected through revision coding, a pretest and posttest on writing ability, two questionnaires and student reflections. The results revealed that although the traditional full teacher feedback model created more revisions on the whole, the two models did not create a difference in terms of revision quality or writing improvement between the two groups. On the other hand, the complementary peer-feedback model was found more successful in creating positive attitudes towards peer feedback and self-correction but no differences were observed in students&amp / #8217 / perceptions of the difficulty of writing skill. Some recommendations are made for the design and implementation of feedback activities in writing classes.

This study analyzed students&rsquo / perceived effectiveness of an online course delivered through one of the open source course content management system, Moodle. Students&rsquo / expectations, perception, comments and suggestions about Moodle were investigated in this study. This is a case study carried out 49 students who attended to CEIT321 Foundation of Distance Education course in summer school in 2008 and 29 students who attended to the same course in fall semester of 2008-2009 academic year at Computer Education and Instructional Technology at Middle East Technical University. Blended learning that combines face-to-face interaction and online learning was used in the course. In this study, the qualitative and quantitative data were gathered from the students attended to the study. The questionnaire was distributed to the participants at the end of the summer school and fall semester. In addition, interviews with the volunteer participants were conducted in order to understand students&rsquo / perceptions, thoughts, expectations, recommendations, and comments on Moodle and its applications. The data showed that students had positive attitudes towards Moodle and its application. This study can contribute the future research studies related with Moodle. Moreover, the results of this study can contribute the development of Moodle.