International Association of Educators   |  ISSN: 1308-9501

Volume 5 Issue 3 (December 2014)

Original Articles

Beginning Early Childhood Education Teachers’ Struggles in Remote Areas

Zeynep AKDAG

pp. 1 - 13

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate pre-service teachers’ concerns about working in remote areas before they enter teaching profession, and their real life experiences when they start to teach in remote areas in Turkey. Sixteen pre-service teachers were interviewed immediately after their graduation. Then, six teachers started to teach in remote areas. Two more interviews were conducted with six beginning teachers when they finish first and second semester they taught. The phenomenological analysis developed by Moustakas (1994) was used in this study. Findings of this study revealed that pre-service teachers were reluctant to work in remote areas due to social, economical, cultural, and safety problems. When they start to teach in those regions they realized that actual situation is far worse than their initial expectations. They especially struggled to teach children coming from low socioeconomic status and children who did not speak Turkish. Involving low SES parents into their children’s education and lack of social life in a small and closed society were also challenging for beginning teachers

Keywords: Beginning teachers, remote areas, early childhood education

Research Trends in Curriculum And Instruction Field in Spain

Subhan EKSIOGLU, Duygu GUR-ERDOGAN & Kerim KARABACAK

pp. 14 - 26

Abstract

The aim of this study is to determine the subjects, types and methods of the studies carried out especially on educational curriculum and instruction in Granada University in Spain, and to examine these studies’ similar/different aspects with Turkish studies. Therefore, the essays published between January 2000-June 2014 in the educational curriculum and instruction journals were included in the study. The essays were subjected to content analysis through “Essay Classification Form” evaluating year, number of author, subject, method, data collection instrument, sample property and data analysis technique. The research results showed that most of the essays were single-authored; prepared on learning, teaching, teacher training and curriculum development and instruction evaluation; and qualitative studies in theoretical type. It was concluded that descriptive analysis were often used in the qualitative essays while frequency/percentage values, mean/standard deviation values, graphic description, t-test, correlation analysis, ANOVA and structural equation model were preferred in the quantitative essays

Keywords: curriculum and instruction, research trends, scientific research