M.A. Theses
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Item A case study in an early childhood setting: science teaching practices and teacher perspectives(Thesis (M.A.) - Bogazici University. Institute for Graduate Studies in the Social Sciences, 2014., 2014.) Çeviren, Ayşe Büşra.; Güven, Devrim.The purpose of this study was to describe science teaching practices and teacher’s perspective on science education in an early childhood classroom and draw a picture of early childhood teachers’ perspectives and practices at the setting on science education through a holistic view. Considering the purpose of the study descriptive case study method was employed in the study. Data were collected through lengthy observations at the early childhood classroom, which consisted of four years old children, and in-depth interviews done with seven early childhood teachers, who had experiences with four or five years old children. The data collected through observations, informal and semi-structured interviews, documents and field notes were coded in MAXQDA 11 and the themes of the study were constructed under two main themes: teacher practices and teacher perspectives. Practices of the teachers revealed that although engagement and conclusion periods of science activities were performed through active involvement of children, implementation periods involved considerable amount of teacher control. Demonstrations, explanations, authoritative question-answer session and video presentations were found to be the predominant strategies that result in teacher control. Perspectives of teachers revealed three possible considerations for this situation: lack of understanding on science education; lack of understanding on importance and goals of science education; and lack of content knowledge on science. Moreover, considerations of teachers for qualified science practices were found as being well prepared, providing science rich environments, teachers’ attitude towards science, and having children enjoy. Finally, suggestions for pre-service and in-service teacher training programs were given.Item A collective case study to understand the whys and wherefores of not using technology in mathematics education(Thesis (M.A.) - Bogazici University. Institute for Graduate Studies in Social Sciences, 2014., 2014.) Eren, Mehmet.; Özel, Serkan.The purpose of this study was to investigate the barriers of technology integration in primary mathematics education. To determine the barriers, three different themes were used: (a) teachers’ definition of self in integration efforts, (b) the relationship between technology and pedagogy in teachers’ perspectives, and (c) teachers’ understanding of the nature of technology in today’s world. Convenience sampling method was used to select six primary mathematics teachers. A multiple case study design consisting of six distinct cases was used as the methodology. An adapted semi-structured interview was used as the instrument. To make comparisons within and across cases, results were stated under two main headings: Within case analysis and cross case analysis. The data, first of all, revealed that the access barrier to the available sources is prominent in all cases. Secondly, considering pedagogical concerns, the motivation of the students and the pace of the lessons are the points on which technology integration has the greatest impact. Professional development was another barrier participants had a consensus on. In this respect, the participants proposed a ten-stage plan to educate teachers in terms of technology integration. Lastly, but most importantly, it was proposed that technology itself in today’s world can appear as the next barrier.Item A comparative analysis of noticing of mathematics teachers with varying teaching experience(Thesis (M.A.) - Bogazici University. Institute for Graduate Studies in the Social Sciences, 2014., 2014.) Erdik, Evrim.; Ader, Engin.Teachers’ noticing refers to attending to classroom events and interpreting why those events are worth noticing. Noticing is regarded as an essential component of teaching expertise. The purpose of present study is to investigate what mathematics teachers with different years of experience notice, and differences and similarities between the teachers in terms of noticing. 15 participant mathematics teachers were purposefully selected and divided into three groups as, inexperienced, less experienced and experienced teachers, according to their teaching experience. Quantitative and qualitative tools were used to analyze the data. Chi square tests were conducted to examine whether noticing of teachers with varying teaching experience significantly differed from each other. A coding schema which assigned actor, topic, stance and specificity to a specific event was used. Results showed that there were statistically significant differences between teacher groups in terms of their noticing about the actor and topic of the noticed incident and the stance they adopted. Statistically significant differences were especially between the experienced teachers and the inexperienced teachers. Moreover, there were qualitative differences and similarities between them on what they noticed and how they analyzed the events that they noticed. Implications of the findings for teachers and teacher educators were apparent.Item A study for profiling mathematics teachers regarding factors affecting promotion of students metacognition(Thesis (M.A.) - Bogazici University. Institute for Graduate Studies in the Social Sciences, 2014., 2014.) Şeker, Vuslat.; Ader, Engin.The main objective of this study was to describe mathematics teachers’ profiles on factors affecting their promotion of students’ metacognition through developing profiling tools. In the light of this aim, four factors from the Framework for Analysing Mathematics Teaching for the Advancement of Metacognition -FAMTAM- (Ader,2009) were used. The factors were (1) teachers’ conceptualization of metacognition, (2) teachers’ perceptions of students’ features and needs, (3) distribution of mathematical authority in the classroom and (4) the external pressure perceived by teachers. The Teachers’ Conceptualization of Metacognition Scale, the Teachers’ Perceptions of Students’ Features and Needs Scale, the Distribution of Mathematical Authority Scale and the External Pressure Perceived by Teachers Scale were developed to reach the aim of the study. The sample consisted of 314 middle and secondary school mathematics teachers. In this study, descriptive, correlational and causal comparative research designs were used. Descriptive statistics were done to explain mathematics teachers’ current thoughts on four factors. Correlational analyses were done to investigate the relationships between four factors. Group comparisons based on gender, age, education level, years of experience, teaching level and school types were examined. The results showed that most mathematics teachers conceptualized metacognition in accordance with the commonly accepted conceptualizations in the literature. They were aware of students’ features and needs. They supported a learning environment where mathematical authority was exercised by students. However, they perceived high external pressure from various factors influencing their promotion of students’ metacognition. Moreover, significant gender differences were observed on teachers’ claims about their distribution of mathematical authority, perceived external pressure and conceptualization of metacognition in favor of female teachers. Significant differences according to age and years of experience were observed only on teachers’ distribution of mathematical authority in favor of teachers with 20-29 age group and 1-5 years of experience respectively. There were also significant differences on distribution of mathematical authority and perceived external pressure according to teachers’ educational background. Teachers with a master’s degree supported the distribution of mathematical authority more and perceived less external pressure than teachers with a bachelor degree. In addition, significant teaching level differences were found on each factor in favor of middle school mathematics teachers. Lastly, perceived external pressure and teachers’ conceptualization of metacognition also significantly differed on school types. Teachers working at a public school perceived higher external pressure and their conceptualization of metacognition’s scores were lower than teachers working at a private school. Implications of the findings and potential ways forward for making better sense of teachers’ considerations for promoting metacognition are discussed.Item A Turkish adaptation of the STEM competency beliefs instrument(Thesis (M.A.) - Bogazici University. Institute for Graduate Studies in the Social Sciences, 2019., 2019.) Demirbağ, Cansu.; Muğaloğlu, Ebru Zeynep.; Arıkan, Serkan.Achievement on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education is important for the economic developments of countries. According to the social cognitive theory, the self-efficacy beliefs are a core construct which is a crucial predictor of achievement (Bandura, 1986). Self-efficacy beliefs are described as "people's judgments on their own capabilities for specific performance" (Bandura, 1986). In order to measure the self-efficacy variables in STEM education, STEM Competency Beliefs Instrument was developed by Chen, Cannady, Schunn, and Dorph at 2017. The instrument measures STEM self-efficacy beliefs of 10-14 years old students. This study aimed to adapt the instrument into Turkish and to investigate the validity of the Turkish version. The process consisted of three stages: adaptation of the instrument into a Turkish version based on expert work, a pilot study, and the main study to test the psychometric properties of the Turkish version. The instrument has 12 statements with 4 options for each. With the pilot study, reliability and validity analyses were conducted and the clarity of the items was examined. The result of the main study showed that the reliability of the instrument pointed out good internal consistency. Construct validity analysis showed that, in contrast to the original instrument, the Turkish version of the instrument has two-dimensional structure. The study concluded that the instrument can be utilized for STEM-related research to assess competency beliefs of students.|Keywords : STEM education, Self-Efficacy Beliefs, Instrument Adaptation, Construct ValidityItem A woman coordinator in an early childhood education center: a case study on defining leadership based on feminine perspective(Thesis (M.A.) - Bogazici University. Institute for Graduate Studies in the Social Sciences, 2014., 2014.) Seven, Yağmur.; Göl-Güven, Mine.The purpose of this study is to understand how a woman coordinator in an early childhood education center defines the concept of leadership by describing her roles and responsibilities. Considering the purpose, a descriptive case study was used as a research method. Data were collected through an in-depth semi-structured interview, detailed observations, field notes, and audio taped voice recordings of conversations, mostly with the coordinator. Data were coded under the two main categories that are: knowledge as power and relationship. There were two sub-categories under the category of relationship: web of inclusion and life balance. Catalytic leadership, distributed leadership, and adaptive work constituted the main category of knowledge as power. In a relationship with the current leadership theories, expert and legitimate power sources were determined in the leadership style of the case. Moreover, determination to present masculine and feminine types of leadership was linked with the people she interacted with and the situation she was in. Despite attempts to distribute responsibilities and tasks in the early childhood center, the power distribution among stakeholders could not be sustained by the coordinator.Item Achievement in and attitudes toward science :|the combined effects of formal and non-formal learning(Thesis (M.A.) - Bogazici University. Institute for Graduate Studies in the Social Sciences, 2019., 2019.) Çağlar, Sema.; Güven, Devrim.The purpose of this study is to investigate the combined effect of formal and non formal learnings on the fifth -grade students’ achievement in and attitude toward science. It compares the effects of formal education with combined effects of formal and non-formal education. An experimental design is implemented for 48 5th -grade students at a private primary school in Istanbul. In the fall term of the 2015-2016 education year, science program objectives were covered in school as formal learning. Students were taught science in the classroom and at the science laboratory. In the spring term of the 2015-2016 education year, a science program was enriched with non-formal science learning. Throughout the spring term, students were taken to the non-formal learning settings and each unit in the 5th -grade curriculum was taught both in school and at non-formal science centers. Students’ achievement and attitudes were investigated with the quantitative analysis of test measurement. Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test analysis showed that there was not a statistically significant difference between fall and spring term achievement scores of the students but that there was a statistically significant difference between their fall and spring term attitude scores. Moreover, the effects on students with varied performance were revealed.Item An analysis of the earth science chapter in the official Turkish fifth grade science textbook revised in 2013(Thesis (M.A.) - Bogazici University. Institute for Graduate Studies in the Social Sciences, 2014., 2014.) Mısır, Muhammet Emin.; Muğaloğlu, Ebru Zeynep.; Dal, Burçkin.Earth science education aims not only improvement of scientific literacy but also teaching domain specific characters of earth science. Textbooks have important roles in earth science education. The purpose of the study was to analyze the earth science chapter of the 5th grade science textbook in Turkey in terms of earth science literacy (ESL) and science literacy (SL). In this study, quantitative analysis method was used. SL framework consists of four main themes; science as a body of knowledge, science as a way of investigating, science as a way of thinking and the interaction among science, technology, and society”. Moreover, ESL framework involves six themes which are geological time, spatial thinking, holistic system thinking, fieldwork, knowledge of earth science and earth science, technology and society. The SL framework was retrieved from the science education literature. The ESL framework was developed by the researcher based on the earth science literature. The data analyzed in accordance with frameworks of SL and ESL by two independent researchers. The results showed that the “fieldwork” theme of ESL was most emphasized in the earth science chapter. Moreover, it was found that some of the domain characteristics of earth science education such as geological time, spatial thinking, holistic system thinking were inadequately emphasized. The results also indicated that “science as a body of knowledge” theme was the most emphasized whereas the “scientific thinking” theme was not emphasized adequately. This study will be one of the guides about science textbooks for textbook preparation commission, science educators and teachers.Item An evaluation of the forest school program in a state preschool in Istanbul(Thesis (M.A.) - Bogazici University. Institute for Graduate Studies in the Social Sciences, 2018., 2018.) Eroğlu, Sümeyra Büşra.; Metindoğan, Ayşegül.Using qualitative research techniques, this study was designed to explore the experiences of people who were involved in the implementation of the Forest School program in a state preschool in Istanbul. The preschool included in the study was purposefully selected because I, as a researcher was one of the few Forest school leaders both in Turkey and in that particular school and the school was the only state school in Istanbul with a Forest school program at the time the study was conducted. Throughout the implementation I reflected on my experiences, during the data collection I explored the experiences of the parents and the forest school leaders via interviews and the children’s experiences via field notes and observations. The examination of the program activities with its goals provided a deep understanding of how the case preschool was able to use Forest School practices while still working within the context of a state school curriculum. The results indicated that the teachers’ motivation played a key role in the implementation and maintenance of the Forest School program and that the children’s interests and the parents’ positive perceptions of the program allowed for the program to continue. Although the program lasted for twelve sessions mostly at the school garden, both the observations and the parent reports revealed that forest school program supported each child in different developmental areas. Finally, the study concluded that it is within possibility that the physical settings of state schools can be turned into a setting for outdoor learning.Item An examination of fifth and sixth grade students’ proportional reasoning(Thesis (M.A.) - Bogazici University. Institute for Graduate Studies in the Social Sciences, 2014., 2014.) Atabaş, Şebnem.; Öner, Diler.The aim of the study was to investigate 5th and 6th grade students’ understanding of proportional and non-proportional situations. The study also looks at reasons of erroneous solutions in proportional and non-proportional problems depending on the type of numbers used in the problems as integer ratio or non-integer ratio. Data collection instrument was a 12-item test that included four types of word problems, additive, constant, proportional comparison (PC), and proportional missing-value (PM), each with an integer and non-integer ratio. One hundred and twenty 5th and 101 6th grade students in a private school participated in the study. 5th and 6th grade students solved proportional and non-proportional situational problems with different success rates. In detail, constant problems were solved with the lowest success rate, while proportional missing-value problems with the highest success rate in both grades. When the use of erroneous strategies was calculated in percentages, the tendency to overuse proportional strategy in non-proportional situations was observed in both grade levels. The study also examined number effect on students’ success rate in proportional and non-proportional situations. The analysis showed that, fifth grade students’ success rates in integer and non-integer numbered problems were significantly different in only additive problems. However, in the 6th grade the success rates differed significantly in additive and PC problems. Additionally, 5th grade students’ choice of the methods significantly differed depending on the number change in only additive problems, while 6th grade students’ choice of the strategies significantly differed in constant and PC problems. In constant problems when problems included integer ratios 5th and 6th grade students tended to use proportional methods, and when problems included non-integer ratios they tended to prefer additive methods. Use of “other” method in the 5th grade also increased significantly by the number change in the problems. In additive problems, when numbers changed from integer ratio to non-integer ratio, there was a significant difference in the overuse of proportional methods. However, the expected difference in the overuse of additive strategies in proportional problems when numbers form non-integer ratios was not observed. Qualitative findings revealed two important points. One of these points was students’ understanding about “building-up” strategy. One another point was students’ decision of the solution strategy without a full understanding of the problem. Frequently, students had a tendency to rely their solution strategy on the relation between numbers in the problems. Besides, students’ difficulty in explaining their way of thinking, and students’ beliefs about mathematical problems supported their insufficient understanding of the problem.Item An examination of the proof and argumentation skills of eighth-grade students(Thesis (M.A.) - Bogazici University. Institute for Graduate Studies in the Social Sciences, 2018., 2018.) Pesen, Melek.; Erktin, Emine.This study examined eighth-grade students’ proof and argumentation skills and their relationships. The study was a mixed-method study with descriptive, statistical and qualitative analyses. It was conducted with two hundred and forty-two students in eighth- grade. According to the findings, students mostly constructed and appreciated empirical proofs in the algebra tasks. They could not produce any type of proof; but, they preferred analytical proof response in the geometry task. Findings from the argumentation tasks revealed that students mostly produced level 2 arguments, which contained a claim and evidence. Statistical analyses showed that there exists a significant relationship between proof and argumentation skills. Students performed better in proof evaluation part than in poof construction part. There were no gender differences in students’ mathematics achievement, proof and argumentation skills. Qualitative findings showed that the students’ performances in proof construction tasks were affected by their content knowledge. It was found that students’ reasoning for the most convincing proof varied and was compatible with their proof schemes when evaluating proofs. It was found that students’ content knowledge, misconceptions and the way they used evidences shaped their argumentation levels. Findings of this study are important contributions in presenting evidences for the relationship between proof and argumentation skills and in revealing specified information about students’ proof and argumentation performances.Item Child participation in the family :|a phenomenological study of fifth-grade girls’ awareness and experiences(Thesis (M.A.) - Bogazici University. Institute for Graduate Studies in the Social Sciences, 2019., 2019.) Özdil, Eda.; Erdiller-Yatmaz, Zeynep Berna.This study attempts to investigate fifth grade girl students’ perceptions, awareness and experiences of their participation rights in family. The study has been conducted among ten girl students and their mothers in a religious middle school, in İstanbul, Turkey. To reach the aim, phenomenological research which is a qualitative method has been used. Phenomenological research tries to describe events or phenomena through the eyes of the social actors. With this purpose, data have been collected through individual interviews, focus group meetings and personal diaries. They have been analyzed thematically, and findings have been presented under six main themes, namely participants’ family introduction, conceptual perceptions, focus group meetings’ outputs, analyzing children’s experiences through actor’s model, comparing children’s and mothers’ perceptions, comparing mothers’ perspectives to one another. Families have mostly reflected transitional family patterns in which children receive special care and attention from their parents through education, guidance, negotiation and warm family atmosphere. Yet, there has still been lack of children’s autonomy in decision making process concerning their lives and hierarchy among family members.Item Children's participation in the preschool classroom: an an ethnographic case study(Thesis (M.A.) - Bogazici University. Institute for Graduate Studies in the Social Sciences, 2017., 2017.) Erbil, Fetiye.; Erdiller-Yatmaz, Zeynep Berna.This study aims to understand how young children participate in a preschool classroom and what the teachers’ role is in promoting children’s participation. The study also looks at teachers’ image of the child and childhood, how the school is governed and how the administration positions itself in terms of children’s rights. The study has the goal of including children and their voices in the research process and in doing so, children’s agency and competence are aimed to be underlined. The study is conducted as an ethnographic case study in a private preschool classroom in Istanbul. Fifteen children who are five or six years old, four teachers and one school principal took part in this research. The classroom observations, interviews with teachers and children and reflection notes are used as the data of the study. The data is analyzed through thematic content analysis. The analysis has led to the development of a participation model. The model proposes that there are many factors that interact with each other and determine the participation of children in this preschool classroom.Item Children's perspectives on the ideal preschool classroom community :|an ethnographic case study(Thesis (M.A.) - Bogazici University. Institute for Graduate Studies in the Social Sciences, 2019., 2019.) Aladağ, Tuğba.; Erdemir, Ersoy.This study aims to examine how young children construct their existing and ideal preschool classroom community through imagination and implementation by featuring them as co-researchers and including them as active participants in making changes for their classroom community. The study drives from children rights movement, the new sociology of childhood, and interpretive reproduction theory and critical pedagogy. An ethnographic case study was conducted in the preschool center of a public university in Turkey. Ten children aged 5-to-6 along with the classroom teacher participated in the study. Implementation was carried out in two daily procedures: (1) During the first half of the day, children constructed and implemented their ideal classroom community practices as co-researchers, and (2) during the second half of the day, they described and shared their ideal and existing classroom community practices and experiences via child participatory activities. The data included intensive and thick field notes of classroom observations, informal semi-structured child conferencing, and teacher journal reflection notes. The results expanded on the understanding of a child-centered preschool classroom community from children’s perspective. This study offers relevant implications for methodological approaches including children as co-researchers as well as child participation and child-centered paradigm in early childhood education for practitioners.Item Children's resilience, emotion regulation, social competence, and problem behaviors in an at-risk community in Turkey(Thesis (M.A.) - Bogazici University. Institute for Graduate Studies in the Social Sciences, 2018., 2018.) Fırat, Yasemin.; Metindoğan, Ayşegül.The first ain1 of the study was to have data about problen1 behaviors of children who live in an at-risk comtnunity and a deprived environtnent in Eastern Turkey. Another ain1 was to have data about children's resilience, ctnotion regulation, social cotnpetence level and traun1atic experiences. The last ain1 of the study was to see if there was a relationship between children's probletn areas, resilience, emotion regulation and social competence and children's trautnatic experiences. Ninety-five children living in an Eastern city of Turkey participated in the study. The results showed that children who were more negatively affected from trautna, which was related to violence exposure, had higher levels of etnotional syn1pto1ns, conduct problems, hyperactivity, peer probletns, anger aggression, anxiety withdrawal and etnotion lability/negativity problen1s. The study also found that children who had better etnotional ties and support frotn their parents, hence considered resilient, had lower etnotion lability/negativity and anger aggression probletns. The study found significant positive correlations between etnotional syn1ptoms, conduct probletns, hyperactivity, peer probletns, anger aggression and etnotion lability/negativity. The study showed significant positive correlation between prosocial cotnpetence, social cotnpetence and etnotion regulation. Finally, the study found significant negative relationships between probletn areas and cotnpetence areas of children. The study contributed to the literature by assessing children's problen1 behaviors, tratunatic experiences related to violence exposure and resilience, etnotion regulation, social cotnpetence level in an at-risk con1tnunity in eastern Turkey.Item Comparing the effect of dynamic and static visualizations on eighth grade students understanding of plate tectonics and earthquake concepts(Thesis (M.A.) - Bogazici University. Institute for Graduate Studies in the Social Sciences, 2013., 2014.) Sökmen, Ali.; Güven, Devrim.The purpose of this study is to investigate whether static or dynamic visualizations are more effective on students’ understanding. It compares instruction with static visualizations and instruction with dynamic visualizations which is designed to help teach plate tectonics and earthquake concepts to 8th grade students. A quasi-experimental design is implemented to 42 eighth grade students (control n=22, experimental n=20) in a public primary school in İstanbul. The experimental group received instruction with dynamic animations (animations) while the control group studied the same material with static pictures of the same animations. Student learning was investigated by the quantitative analysis of test measuring conceptual understanding and qualitative analysis of the classroom discourse. Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test analysis shows that there is a statistical significance between pretest and posttest scores of the students in control and the experimental group. However, Mann-Whitney U Test result shows that there is no difference between the different types of visualizations with respect to students learning. Although there is no significant difference between two groups, qualitative analysis reveals that students in experimental group are more participant and ask more and complex questions during the classroom conversations.Item Development of a scale on primary school teachers’ knowledge and perception of dyslexia(Thesis (M.A.) - Bogazici University. Institute for Graduate Studies in the Social Sciences, 2019., 2019.) Tosun, Duygu.; Babür, Fatma Nalan.; Arıkan, Serkan.The aim of the present study is two-fold. Firstly, it attempts to develop a scale to measure primary school teachers’ knowledge and perception of dyslexia. Secondly, it aims to explore teachers’ knowledge and perception of dyslexia through this scale. This study examines whether teachers’ knowledge and perception of dyslexia differ with regard to years of teaching experience, taking a course or seminars related to dyslexia, reading a book or an article about dyslexia and teaching a student with dyslexia or not. For this purpose Teachers’ Knowledge and Perceptions Scale was developed and 201 primary school teachers participated in the study. The results showed that there was no significant relationship between primary school teachers’ knowledge of dyslexia and their teaching experience. Also their knowledge of dyslexia did not differ with regard to other variables of the study. On the other hand, there was a weak positive relationship between teachers’ perception of dyslexia and teaching experience and there was a significant difference between perceptions of primary school teachers with regard to taking a course about dyslexia during university education. Teachers’ perception did not differ with regard to taking an in service seminar, reading a book or an article and teaching a student with dyslexia. The study may contribute to dyslexia research in terms of developing a scale to measure teachers’ knowledge and perception of dyslexia and revealing their knowledge and perception.Item Differentiating poor and good readers in second grade: Cognitive and linguistic variables(Thesis (M.A.) - Bogazici University. Institute for Graduate Studies in the Social Sciences, 2017., 2018.) Kuzucu Örge, Semanur.; Babür, Fatma Nalan.The present study examined the relationships of reading fluency with cognitive and linguistic skills in second graders. In particular, the roles of phonological awareness (PA), rapid automatized naming (RAN), phonological memory (PM) and morphological awareness (MA) in prediction of oral reading fluency (ORF) were explored in Turkish poor and good readers. Sixty six second grade students participated in the study and the measurements of ORF, PA, RAN, PM, and MA were administered. After data collection, the sample was divided into two groups as poor and good readers based on the students’ performance on ORF. The findings showed that relationships between ORF and other variables differentiate in poor and good readers. PA and RAN were related significantly to ORF in poor readers while ORF was correlated with PA and MA in good readers. Also, regression analyses indicated that PA is the most significant predictor to ORF in poor readers while MA is a significant precursor for ORF in good readers. Moreover, both PA and RAN have additional explanations to ORF in poor readers although only MA was a significant contributor of ORF in good readers. Consequently, these findings demonstrated that poor readers are on the process of reading acquisition via phonological awareness and naming speed, but good readers move up into semantics of words via morphological awareness. As Turkish is a transparent and agglutinating language, the results of this study offer a different perspective on Turkish reading development.Item Examining early predictors of number sense among first graders(Thesis (M.A.) - Bogazici University. Institute for Graduate Studies in the Social Sciences, 2013., 2013.) Aşık, Merve.; Babür, Fatma Nalan.The aim of the study was to examine the roles of arithmetic performance, reading and the cognitive correlates of mathematics learning as working memory, rapid automatized naming (RAN) and processing speed on number sense, which is defined as the core of numerical cognition. Participants were 142 first grade students from a total of 17 state and private primary schools. To see the interrelationships among number sense and the other variables aforementioned, correlation analysis was conducted. Correlation analysis indicated that all the variables significantly correlated to each other except RAN and memory measures. To investigate how each variable accounts for the variance of number sense, multiple regression analysis was run. Regression analyses indicated that arithmetic performance, memory for words and reading comprehension accounted for significant variance in number sense. This study also aimed to describe the distinguishing features of first graders who have good (GNS), average (ANS), and poor number sense scores (PNS) in terms of the variables. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Kruskal-Wallis tests were conducted to compare the mean differences between the groups. Results showed that PNS group significantly differed from the GNS group on all the measures. The PNS group was significantly lower than the ANS on arithmetic performance, memory for words, RAN, and reading comprehension. The ANS significantly differed from the GNS on all the measures except RAN and reading comprehension. However, further research is needed to replicate this study in a longitudinal fashion.Item Exploring children's play culture in an early childhood classroom :|an ethnographic study(Thesis (M.A.) - Bogazici University. Institute for Graduate Studies in the Social Sciences, 2019., 2019.) Yeşil, Ragibe.; Erdiller-Yatmaz, Zeynep Berna.This study aims to explore children's play culture in an early childhood classroom. Additionally, there are two more objectives of this study. The first objective is; the characteristics of the socio-dramatic play that takes place in the classroom. The second one is exploring the active construction process of socio-dramatic play with special attention to how children name the play, how they terminate play, how they evolve into other things or other types of play. The qualitative study is conducted as an ethnographic study in an Early Childhood Education Center. In order to conduct this ethnographic study, ten children aged between four and five, who form one classroom, participated in this research. Observations, field notes, informal interviews and children's drawings were used. A general overview of the play in the classroom, play scenarios constructed by the children of the Little Daisies classroom, play culture in the classroom and general characteristics of socio-dramatic play in the classroom are described in detail.