International Association of Educators   |  ISSN: 1308-9501

Volume 10 Issue 4 (December 2019)

Original Articles

Are Academic Procrastination Behaviours of Engineering Students Related to their Mindfulness Levels?

Atilla Ergin, Yelkin Diker Coşkun & Esra Mutlu

pp. 1 - 19

Abstract

Mindfulness is to give attention to the current mainstream and open mind and to accept whatever is taking place at this moment. Academic procrastination usually involves delaying tasks and studies of academic origin for irrational reasons. Increasing the quality of students in higher education is important in terms of improving the total education quality of our country. Especially knowledge-based and teacher-cantered approaches seen in engineering curriculums make it difficult for us to see the quality of students. Therefore, this study examines whether there is a relationship between mindfulness levels and academic procrastination behaviours that affect the effective learning and achievement of the student by taking the student to the center. This study designed as a survey model. The data of the research were carried out in eight different departments of the mentioned university with 400 participants (152 females, 248 males) studying at Istanbul Technical University. Demographic Information Form, Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) and Academic Procrastination Scale (APS) data collection instruments were applied to the individuals who participated in the research. IBM SPSS Statistics 25 program was used to analyze the data. One-way ANOVA and T-test were used for normal distribution data, Man Whitney U and Kruskal Wallis tests, which are non-parametric equivalents of these tests, were used for data with non-normal distribution. The Pearson correlation test was used to determine the relationships between variables. As a result of the analyses, it was determined that the relationship between mindfulness and academic procrastination was positive and low level. The findings of the study were discussed in the light of the literature and suggestions were presented.

Keywords: Mindfulness, Academic Procrastination, Engineering

Development of an Instrument to Measure Practical Research Competencies in Senior High School

Romenick Molina

pp. 20 - 36

Abstract

With the advent of the K to 12 basic education program, it gave birth to the senior high curriculum. Senior high school curriculum offers a wide range of subjects that will prepare young Filipinos to go for further studies, entrepreneur or employment. These subjects were grouped into specialized, core and applied. One of the subjects included in applied is research. There are four (4) research subjects: Practical Research 1, Practical Research 2, Inquiries, Investigation and Immersion and Research or Capstone Project (for STEM). Thus, it is expected that senior high school students will be research oriented individuals. With this, it is essential for teachers to identify the proficiency level of students in doing research. Thus, the researcher aimed to design and develop an instrument with established validity and reliability.

            This study utilized a design and development research approach to establish the empirical basis in the creation of an instrument to measure students’ research competencies. Moreover, descriptive quantitative research design will be employed in validating the developed instrument. This will be done through the use of a validation checklist.

            A five - phase model was used to create an instrument. These phase involved Phase I - Review of Literature and Defining of Constructs, Phase II - Development of Items, Phase III - Designing of Checklist and Initial Try - Out, Phase IV - Content Validation and Initial Revision and Phase V –Pilot Testing and Final Revision. The developed instrument was named as Practical Research Competencies Inventory Checklist (RCIC). Experts validated the developed instrument and it obtained a Kappa value of 0.82 (almost perfect agreement) and an Aiken value of 0.89 (Valid). When subject for pilot testing and Cronbach’s alpha was computed, it obtained a value of 0.96, which implies an excellent internal consistency reliability.

Keywords: Checklist, Design and Development, Reliability, Research Competencies, Validity

Oral Corrective Feedback Preferences of University Students in English Communication Classes

Hulya Unsal Sakiroglu

pp. 37 - 47

Abstract

The ultimate goal of teaching foreign language is to achieve an elevated level of language competence via providing maximum language exposure and minimum learner mistakes. To fulfill the goal, many strategies have been developed. One of the strategies is the provision of feedback during the formal speaking courses. Nevertheless, format of the oral corrective feedback in English as a foreign language (EFL) classes has been one of the controversial issues among both researchers and teaching staff including methods of correction, timing of correction and target errors. Moreover, learner attitudes toward correction are deemed to be an important component. In this study, the aim is to investigate how and when the error correction should take place in EFL communicative classes based on students’ perspectives. A total of 65 students pursuing to English Language and Literature Department and French-English-Turkish Interpretation Department at Kafkas University who were pre-intermediate and intermediate levels were interviewed using a self-report questionnaire, 14 of which were discarded due to irrelevant and redundant replies. The results revealed that 90% of the learners would like to be corrected when they had errors during the process of speaking English. Majority of the students indicated the preference to be corrected after finishing turn with nice and friendly manners. The results indicated that teachers should be aware of student attitudes toward oral corrective feedback.

Keywords: corrective feedback, oral correction, feedback preferences, speaking skills

Investigation of Protective Factors and Parents' Acception/Rejection Perceptions in Turkish Families

Hatıce Uysal Bayrak

pp. 48 - 64

Abstract

The aim of the current study is to investigate the relations between parents’ parental acception/rejection perception and the protective factors of the families in terms of various variables. Total sample of 204 parents with children aged 3-8 years who lives in the internal region of Turkey, were conducted to determine being relationships within and beyond the family. Parental Acceptance-Rejection Questionnaire–Mother Form was used in order to determine parental acception/rejection; The Inventory of Family Protective Factors was intended to evaluate the protective factors that contribute to family resilience; Parent As A Teacher Inventory was used to assess parents knowledge levels about child development and education. The current study provides evidence that the Family Protective Factors, Parental Acceptance/Rejection are determinative factors within the families in terms of various variables in Turkish culture.

Keywords: Parent-child relationship, Parents as a teacher, Family protective factors, Turkish families structure

The Development of Student Worksheet Based on Contextual Approach to Improve Critical Thinking Skills in the X Grade of High School Economics Lessons

Wida Mutmainah Wida & Riza Yonisa Kurniawan

pp. 65 - 72

Abstract

The research aims to develop student  worksheet based on a contextual approach to improve critical thinking skills in the economic subjects of the high school class, which uses to analyze and describe 1) the feasibility of resulting student activity sheets, 2) student responses to participants' activity sheets the students produced, and the effectiveness of using the student activity sheet on improving critical thinking skills. This study uses the 4D development models of Thiagarajan, Semmel, and Sammel (1947) which includes defining, design, develop, and disseminate. The types of data in this study are qualitative and quantitative data obtained from the study and validation of experts as well as filling in the questionnaire of educators and students. The trial design used in this pre-experimental study with the form of one grub pretest-posttest results were analyzed using n-gain. The results of this study are 1) based on the assessment of the material produced by student training sheets, a percentage of 98%, 91% of linguists, and 85% of graphic experts. From the assessment of the three experts, the average percentage was 89.6% so it could be categorized as "very feasible", 2) the response from students showed that it was very feasible because of the percentage of assessment reached 83.9%, 3) limited test activities are effective in improving students' critical thinking skills, this is evident in limited n-gain trials showing an average of 0.5 with a percentage of effectiveness of 95% and when the n-gain trial field shows an average of 0.7 with a percentage of effectiveness of 97%.

Keywords: Student Worksheet, Contextual Approach, Critical Thinking