ABSTRACT FIRST YEAR COLLEGE ADJUSTMENT: THE ROLE OF COPING, EGO-RESILIENCY, OPTIMISM AND GENDER Yalim, Desen M. S. Department of Educational Sciences Supervisor: Assist. Prof. Dr. Oya Yerin G&uuml / neri June 2007, 68 pages This study investigated the relationship between ways of coping, ego-resiliency, optimism, gender and adjustment of first year students. Participants of the study were 420 Department of Basic English students (173 female, 247 male) from Middle East Technical University in Ankara. The results of multiple regression analysis for the total sample indicated that all the predictor variables (ways of coping, ego resiliency and optimism) were found to be significant predictors of college adjustment. The study found that participants who reported high resilience, optimism and fatalistic and helplessness/self blaming coping scores had better adjustment to college. In addition, the results of the multiple regression analyses conducted for female and male students showed that whereas ego resiliency, optimism, and seeking social support coping, helplessness/self-blaming coping predicted adjustment of female students / ego resiliency, problem solving coping, seeking social support coping, fatalistic coping and helplessness/self-blaming coping were significant predictors of male students&rsquo / college adjustment.

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.

This thesis presents content-related and construct-related validity evidence for science sub-tests within Student Selection Test (SST) in Turkey via underlying the content, cognitive processes, item characteristics, factorial structure, and group differences based on high school type. A total number of 126,245 students were present in the research from six type of school in the data of SST 2006. Reliability Analysis, Item Analysis, Principle Component Analysis (PCA) and one-way ANOVA have been carried out to evaluate the content-related and construct-related evidence of validity of SST. SPSS and ITEMAN programs were used to conduct the above-mentioned analyses. According to the results of content analysis, science items in the SST 2006 found to be measuring various cognitive processes under knowledge, understanding and problem solving cognitive domains. Those items loaded under three factors according to PCA findings which were measuring very close dimensions. Moreover, a threat to validity was detected via one-way ANOVA due to significant mean difference across high school types.