The purpose of this study is (1) to investigate the characteristics of ideal physics textbooks, (2) to investigate the students, teachers, textbook writers, book committee members and science education instructors&rsquo / opinions whether the 9th grade physics textbooks, used in TRNC (Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus), possess the characteristics of an ideal physics textbook, and (3) to investigate how physics textbooks should be used and how they are being used. In this study, &ldquo / Physics Textbooks Evaluation Questionnaires&rdquo / , which were prepared for physics teachers, 9th grade students, National Ministry of Education book committee members, science education instructors and physics textbook writers separately, were used as measuring instruments. The study was conducted with 591 students, 18 physics teachers, 4 book committee members, 3 science education instructors in Magosa and LefkoSa cities in TRNC, and 4 physics textbook writers in 2005-2006 spring semester. The data were analyzed by using frequency analysis. Results revealed that most of the opinions of the participants matched with the literature review in terms of ideal physics textbooks characteristics. In addition, according to most of the textbook writers and book committee members, textbooks, that were analyzed, possessed most of the characteristics of ideal physics textbooks in the nine determined categories. However, according to most of the teachers&rsquo / and students&rsquo / opinions, analyzed physics textbooks possessed most of the ideal physics textbook characteristics in all categories except instructional approach category. Students&rsquo / views on usage of physics textbooks indicated that most of the teachers and students&rsquo / levels of using physics textbooks were almost similar. In addition, all groups of the participants stated that it is necessary to support textbooks with other sources.

The aim of this study was to examine middle school science textbooks according to some criteria in terms of nature of science (NOS). A total of three middle school science textbooks in 6th, 7th and 8th grade and two biology units were analyzed in each textbook. In the 6th grade science textbooks, Reproduction, Development and Growth in Living Beingsand Systems in Our Body units, in the 7th grade science textbook, Systems in Our Body and Human and Environment units, in the 8th grade science textbook, Cell Division and Heredity and Livings and Energy Relationships units were analyzed by using Nature of Science Criteria, adapted from Gunckel&amp / #8217 / s (2004) study. The instrument consists of 3 categories, 9 criteria and 28 indicators. The categories are: Science as Authoritative Knowledge, Science as Understanding Phenomena and Science as the Social Construction of Knowledge. A qualitative oriented approach was performed and content analysis method was used to assess the science textbooks. Data were analyzed by percentage and frequency analysis. Reliability was calculated by Cohen&amp / #8217 / s Kappa and the value 0,71 which was found is reliable. The results of this study revealed that the three science textbooks inadequately presented the nature of science categories. It was also found that the percentages of almost all the indicators were under fifty. The textbooks presented the science as authoritative knowledge category relatively higher than the other two categories. The science as the sociocultural construction of knowledge category was portrayed less than the other two categories.

ABSTRACT ANALYSIS OF ANALOGY USE ON FUNCTION CONCEPT IN THE NINTH GRADE MATHEMATICS TEXTBOOK AND CLASSROOMS &Uuml / nver, Emel M.S., Department of Secondary Science and Mathematics Education Supervisor: Assoc.Prof. Dr Behiye UBUZ December 2009, 64 pages The primary objective of the current study was to examine how analogies are used on function concept in the ninth grade mathematics textbook and classrooms. Using qualitative research procedure comprising textbook analysis and classroom observations, a picture was developed of how analogies used on function concept in ninth grade mathematics textbook and classrooms. One mathematics textbook, the primary source for observed classes was selected and analyzed for the study. Chapter entitled as &ldquo / functions&rdquo / in the selected textbook was closely examined for use of analogies therein. Subtitles of the chapter used in the analysis were identified according to the subtitles taught in observed classes. Moreover, the data were obtained from the observation of two teachers&rsquo / 9th grade mathematics clasess during the 7-week data collection period. Totally, twenty-five lessons were videorecorded. Having determined which comparisons would be counted as analogies, each of the textbook and classroom analogies was classified according to an analogy classification framework including eight criteria, modified from that of Thiele and Treagust&rsquo / s (1994). Analysis of the textbook suggested that all the analogies were enriched and functional, majority of them presented in both verbal and pictorial formats, most of them were advance organizers or post-synthesizers and some of them were embedded activators. However, none of them was explained completely and contained any limitations. On the other side, analysis of classroom analogies revealed that nearly all the analogies were functional, enriched or extended presented verbally as embedded activators, and all of them explained absolutely without any stated limitations.

The purpose of this study was to analyze geometry problems in a widely used sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade Turkish elementary mathematics textbooks series based on the cognitive assessment frameworks of the most recent TIMSS, the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study 2003. To compare geometry problems in the textbooks and TIMSS 1999, in which Turkish students poorly performed, the cognitive behaviors that the problems required were determined and categorized. After the analysis, it was found that the two most frequent behaviors that the problems require are computing and applying with a total percentage of 72, in case of the textbooks. In TIMSS 1999 geometry problems case, however, applying and analyzing are the most frequent cognitive behaviors with a total percentage of 47. It was also found that a great majority of 22 behaviors of the framework were either not represented or underrepresented by the textbooks geometry problems. When we consider the four major categories of behaviors, 86 percent of the textbooks geometry problems required behaviors belong to two cognitive domains: Knowing Facts and Procedures or Solving Routine Problems. TIMSS 1999 geometry problems, however, mostly belong to Solving Routine Problems or Reasoning with a percentage of 65. In both the textbooks and TIMSS 1999 cases, a relatively small part of the problems required behaviors belong to Using Concepts. The results are discussed in the light of Turkey&amp / #8217 / s performance in TIMSS 1999 and some suggestions related to the textbook problems were given.

Alpha-Beta transition in quartz is studied using the Raman scattering. The Raman frequencies of some lattice modes are analyzed at various temperatures close to the alpha beta transition in quartz. For this analysis, the experimental data from the literature is used and the soft mode behavior of those Raman phonons is investigated . On the basis of the predictions of some models, the temperature dependencies for the Raman frequencies of the lattice modes which move towards zero (soft mode) and their bandwidths close to the transition temperature Tc are explained for the alpha-beta transition in quartz. In addition, by using the experimental volume data from literature, calculation of the temperature dependence of the Raman frequencies through the Gr&uuml / neisen parameter have been studied near the phase transition.

This study examined the effect of constructed web-supported instruction on students&rsquo / achievement related to research methods. Also, in this study, constructed web site was tracking the activities of students, namely entrance and exit time, logs of each entrance to the tests as well as the results of each entrance, and posts to the forum. Another intention of the study was to construct a web support system for traditionally offered courses in order to decrease both instructor and students efforts to communicate and reach for sources. In addition, the web site was prepared as a dynamic web site to decrease the instructor&rsquo / s construct and update time of the web site to the minimum level. The subjects of the study were 24 graduate students of SSME 520 Research Methods in Education course offered by the SSME Department of METU. None of the subjects was offered an on-line course before. The study used both quantitative and qualitative measurements to analyze the effectiveness of the site and. The results of the study showed that students had an average achievement value of 68%. There was significant correlation between the summary section usage of web site and research methods achievement, and test section usage of web site and research methods achievement. But there was no significant correlation between forum section usage of web site and research methods achievement. Another result showed that supportive web site should provide asynchronous communication for more effective usage. It can also be concluded that the speed and the visual design of the web site is very important for the students. During the development process, properties of web-based course management systems were taken as the models. Preferences of those systems were tried to accomplish. Unlike those systems, the developed site was not created for stand-alone course management systems but for an aid to the traditionally delivered courses. The framework was prepared not only for graduate courses, but also for other courses, because the study has intended to end up with a framework which would be easily adapted for all courses.